


Halo: Pandora's Box

by Hardlight_Artemis



Series: Pandora's Light [1]
Category: Halo, Robotech
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 05:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4734260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hardlight_Artemis/pseuds/Hardlight_Artemis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Halo 3, Cortana and Spartan-117 drift in cryostasis for ten years, waking up to find a ship that will alter the course of the galaxy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Birth of Light

**Author's Note:**

> First and for most, I do not own halo, Robotech, or any of the characters I swiped from various other fandom. However, I do own the contest that I am running throughout the storyline. I put various Easter eggs through my chapters, if you can be the first to find them all over a certain amount of chapters, I'll write you into the story, won't be anything plot changing, but you will be a part of the storyline. So for now I'm going to do it in five chapter intervals (mostly because at this point I only have five chapters done) now the curve ball, to be eligible, you have to rate and review each chapter, with the list of them all being on the last chapter of the contest. The winner will be given a choice of being several things, (sorry, no Spartans), from crewmembers to AI, or anything else I may need a person in. With that said, this is my first fan fiction, so treat me kindly and on with the show

UNSC derelict Forward Unto Dawn  
Date: unknown  
Location: unknown

Cortana's personal log

I can feel the rampancy eating away at my functions, but for the sake of Spartan-117, for John's sake, I have to keep going. To slow the onset of rampancy I will he entering standby mode, only to awaken if anything approaches the Dawn. It's funny, the closer I get to rampancy, the more human I feel. Dying is making me feel alive.

* * * * *

Almost a century before the Zentradi scientist began construction on the Super Dimensional Fortress and sent it to the blue white world, Zor had made a smaller prototype cruiser class starship with a much smaller protoculture factory and an experimental FTL engine. In terms of size, the ship was one third the size of the famous SDF-1, but as with all things protoculture, what you see is NEVER what you get.

* * * * * *

Zor knew that the Robotech Masters were despotic rulers, but since seducing the Invid Regis to learn the secrets of protoculture, the Flower of Life had shown him two possible futures for two phases of existence. One in which Zor builds a mighty fortress and the resulting war echoes through out the cosmos, bringing death and destruction to countless worlds. The second, the Masters rule the cosmos with an iron fist. The future of the 'other phase' was less clear cut, and hinged around a faceless soldier in green armor and a dying artificial construct. So, without a second thought, he began working on prototypes, most of which went to arm and supply the Zentradi warriors under the Masters banner. However, Zor conducted secret experiments, designing a ship with a FTL drive that could cross dimensional boundaries and power the cruisers powerful pinpoint barrier system and hyper particle cannon. At the heart of the ships power source was the reflex furnace, the engine which powered the Robotech factory, a massive factory which produced mecha to fight the Invid, arms and armored the soldiers stationed there.

"ZOR! What is the meaning of this?" A voice like a thunderclap echoed through Zor's lab. "Who authorized the building of that... that abomination of a ship? It has no organic components and is built to scale for micronians!"

Sighing, Zor had hoped that Dolza had been too busy to disrupt his work. The Supreme Commander of the Zentradi forces was an imposing figure even when he wasn't fifty feet tall.

"Ah, commander Dolza, welcome. I had that ship commissioned as a test ship, both as a new prototype towards the Dimensional Fortress, but also as a training ground for our spies and scouts. The smaller size of the micronians make it easier to infiltrate various planets for scouting and..."

"ENOUGH! No Zentradi warrior would ever allow their honor to be tarnished by, becoming a micronian! Run your tests, then scrap the craft for salvage."

Zor had a hard time keeping his temper in check. If everything went according to plan, then the ship would have an 'accident' during testing and vanish, taking the miniature protoculture factory out of this phase of existence. 

"As you will commander, since the ship will be scrapped, I will only need a skeleton crew for the testing, and another ship for observation of the testing."

Dolza grunts and waves his hand dismissively. 

"Yes, Yes, use what ever you need, you have seven cycles to finish your tests. The Masters may have you in favor at the moment, but don't forget that this is MY armada, and I will not tolerate dead weight. Finish in seven cycles or I will space you with the rest of the garbage."

Zor watched helplessly as Dolza strode from his Lab, feeling a cold sweat run down his spine. Fumbling for a metal container in his over coat, he pulls one of the petals from the Flower of Life and places it on his tongue. As the petal dissolved, Zor once again saw the blue white world where the fate of this phase would hinge, and the faceless soldier with the dying Artificial Entity, clad in green armor that held the fate of the alternate phase in the balance. 

* * * * *

After finishing the special 'surprise' for the armored soldier's artificial companion, he had the two ships space fold a short distance from the armada and began preparing the cruiser for testing. Unknown to Dolza, Zor had fully provisioned the ship with small arms, missiles for the cruiser, a full compliment of mecha, and the materials to replicate new Robotech designs once it gets to its destination. 

"Alright, begin phase one testing." Zor said to the display screen.

"Aye beginning engine shakedown, powering up space fold system. Space fold field established. Now beginning space fold in 3... 2... 1... mark!" The micronized soldier was gruff but efficient and knew his work, even with the unfamiliar workings of a prototype ship. Zor watched as space 'folded' around the cruiser, then disappear as the space fold was completed. 

As soon as the space fold was completed, Zor was filled with dread. Something was coming. No sooner had he finished the thought than the experimental ship used the emergency frequency to contact their companion ship.

"Mayday, mayday, this is the EC-1 issuing an S.O.S. We are under attack by the Invid, repeat, we are under attack from the Invid. We are making a randomized space fold so as not to lead them to fleet. We are taking heavy damage and it is unlikely we will survive the jump. For the glory of the Zentradi!"

Zor watched out the view screen as a bright white flash was seen as it made its final jump. Placing a petal on his tongue once more, he turned to the Zentradi captain.

"Khyron, return to the fleet, we have to warn them of the Invid attack."

While it wasn't the way he had planned it, the ship was on its way to the other phase. He hoped that the Masters or the Invid never found the cruiser.


	2. Chapter One: Boys and their toys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, prologue done, keep an eye out for those Easter eggs.  
> I do not own halo, Robotech, or any of the characters I swiped from other fandom. Rate and review, or even just drop me a comment, I'll try to respond.

UNSC Derelict Forward Unto Dawn  
Date: unknown  
Location: unknown.

Proximity alert, awakening from standby.

Cortana's holo image stretched as if waking from a really good nap and checked her standby length, and what she saw made her doubt her sanity. Ten years, they had drifted ten years with no rescue. Only when the proximity alarm alerted her to why she was brought out of standby did she snap out of it. Checking the sensor logs, Cortana saw there was another derelict ship floating close to the Dawn. It was strange, the sensors showed there was a ship, but could get no other details, save for a strange energy signature. 

Turning towards the cryopod, Cortana reaches out towards one of the pods and deactivated the cryo process. 'Hurry John,' she thinks to herself, 'I need you.'

******

As he opened his eyes, he began reviewing his personal information.

Name: John  
Rank: Master Chief Petty Officer  
Designation: Sierra-117  
Classification: Spartan-II

by the time he was done, the cryostasis had worn off. As there was no liquid nitrogen feeling in his head and spine, Cortana must still be in the Dawn's main computer.

"Good morning Chief, the auto open function of the pod is broken, you'll have to open it manually.

Without a word he reached up and pulled the lever, making the door swing open and he steps out. Looking around, sees he is still on the Dawn.

"Give me a sit-rep Cortana, where are we?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Chief, you've been asleep for ten years, I only thawed you out because the sensors detected an unknown ship."

"Unknown? A new Covenant ship maybe?" A new Covenant ship would be trouble, John hated unknowns, even though he was trained to deal with them.

"I don't know Chief, all the sensors could detect was that it was a ship and that it had an unusual energy signature. With the Dawn being sheared in half, we've lost the capabilities for more in depth scans. Not only that, this ship is... strange. I don't know what it is, bit something just feels off."

Cortana's words shake John to his core, not about the ship, but the fact Cortana was having an emotional response to it,which is one of the major signs of advancing rampancy. John knew they had to get back to earth and Dr.Halsy as soon as possible.

"Right, well then Chief, lets to meet the neighbors, shall we?"

Pulling Cortana's data crystal, he slots it into the back of his helmet, once again feeling the liquid nitrogen run down his spine as Cortana takes up residence in his synapses. Even with Cortana starting to rampant, John felt more comfortable with her in his head than without.

It's good to be home, now, before we get going, the armory should be our first stop. You know, just in case we need party favors."

John nods wordlessly as a Nav marker appears on his HUD, showing the armory was one floor up. He thinks momentarily about taking the elevator, but wasn't sure if any of the floors were open to vacuum and didn't want to risk an explosive decompression, so, began double timing it to the stairs.

"John, the sensors are getting more readings on our mystery ship as we drift closer to one another. I can say for certain it's not a covenant ship. For one thing, it's not of any known forerunner design, and for another, that ship is over six hundred years old, which predates any covenant ship in use today."

As Cortana was updating John, he had arrived at the armory and was selecting his 'party favors', as Cortana had dubbed his arsenal. Grabbing four frag grenades, four plasma grenades, a MA37 ICWS Assult rifle with three hundred rounds of armor piercing rounds. For a little extra power he selected a Model 6 Grindel Galilean Nonlinear rifle, (or Spartan laser), and because you never know, a M6G magnum with one hundred and twenty rounds of ammo. John thought about bringing an energy sword for close up work, bit thought if they got in close enough to use the blade, that time would be too late anyways. Once a round was chambered in each of the projectiles, and the Spartan laser was primed, he leaves the armory. What he says next unjust about fries Cortana's circuits,  
"Ok honey, let's go meet the neighbors."

John, Spartan-117 had made a joke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapters are short, when hand written it looks a lot longer, I'll try to make up for it when I catch up with my self so please, bear with me. Also, as I'm posting this on my phone, if something seems off, the autocorrect demons have struck again, just leave me a message and I'll fix it.


	3. Chapter Two: Every girl needs a change of wardrobe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own halo or Robotech, work any of the random characters I've pulled from other fandom. We're at fourteen views so far, not too bad for a first time writer. If you like my writings, let your friends know, the more views, comments, and reviews, the more likely I am to continue.

Smiling to himself at Cortana's speechlessness, John double times it to the hangar, and the Pelican drop ships. When she still had not said a word after he had climbed into the cockpit, he began to worry.

"Cortana, you need to unlock the docking clamps and open the hangar bay doors."

No sooner had he finished speaking, when a lance of pain shoots down his spine as Cortana's temper flares.

"Don't DO that John, I thought I was finally going rampant." John felt that Cortana would be glaring at him if she had been in a holographic projector, but as she was in his head, she could only sulk. "Now unlocking docking clamps and opening hangar bay doors. Unknown ship one thousand meters of the port stern and closing. Once we leave the hangar it should be visible as we clear the Dawn's hull. Now clearing hull in three....two....one." as the ship came into view, John had a sense that it was entirely alien, but also very familiar. 

"Oh my! Look at that Chief, what could leave claw marks in solid metal battle plate? I have a very bad feeling about this. Checking Mjolnir combat systems, Chief, the shielding on your lower legs are not charging to capacity, only sixty-two percent charge and holding. All other shields charging normally."

As the Pelican drop ship drew nearer to the alien derelict, John could see the extent of the damage along the hull. Two meter long rents like claw marks ran in rows of three Dow the hull, jagged holes where the ship's armor was simply melted away, and what looked like plasma burns dotted what was left. What ever happened to this ship, it was clear they went down fighting. On a whim, before closing in on the ship, John took the Pelican around the ship, examining the full extent of the damage.

"By UNSC standards, it's too large to be a corvette, but too small to be a frigate or destroyer. By Covenant standards, in terms of size and tonnage, it's just over being designated as a light cruiser. Sensors indicate that it is four hundred meters in length by one hundred and fifty meters in height, by one hundred and fifty meters in width. The energy signature coming from the ship seems almost alive, but life sign scanners can't penetrate the hull... what's left of it any ways. I've established a link with the ship's computer to open the aft hangar bay. It's strange, the ship still has power after six hundred years, and the computer seemed almost... welcoming... as I established the link. John, I know I'm not supposed to be able to be, but I'm scared of this ship."

John was unsure how to handle this particular situation, as a Spartan, he had not had much exposure to a trusted teammate's expression of fear. Add to the fact that Cortana was an A.I. and should not feel fear in the first place, made it so John was entirely out of his depth.

"Cortana, we have a duty to return to either Earth, or Reach, and we cannot do that if you fall apart. Now, pull yourself together and get us inside this hunk of junk. That is an order."

Cortana laughs as she gets the Spartan version of a bedside manner. This is why she loved him, and why she could never tell him so. She knew she loved him after he had rescued her from the Gravemind.

"John, has anyone ever told you that you have the bedside manner of a Jackle? Aft hangar bay open, I wonder if they would let us borrow a cup of sugar?"

Shaking his head, he brings the Pelican into the hangar and lands in the completely empty hangar. Not a single vehicle was stored in the bay, no tools were visible, not even a work station.

"Cortana, see if you can find a data access port so I can insert you into the system. I really don't want any surprises."

"I'm reading an energy flow along the wall twenty meters ahead, it could be a data port."

As John made his way over to the place marked on his nav map, he kept his eye on the motion tracker and his finger on the trigger of his assault rifle. With so many hull breaches, it was clear that there would probably be no atmosphere on most of the ship, but that didn't mean something hadn't come to live on the old derelict. As he came to the nav marker, the wall lit up in a screen with a data chip slot that look like it would accept Cortana's data crystal.

"Cortana, will you be able to function if I insert you into the system? Much more data and it will just advance your rampancy that much faster."

Cortana tried to hide the pleased tone from her voice when she answered, but wasn't sure how successful she was.

"Aw, you do care Chief. But no worries, my rampancy is still in the early stages. If nothing else, I'll be able to get you home at the very least."

John remains silent but nods as he reaches up to his helmet and ejects Cortana's data crystal, once again making him alone in his own head, which to John has been, for the most part, never a good thing. As he waits for her to get acclimated, he scans the empty hangar once again, wondering, not for the first time, where everything went.

"You're not going to believe this Chief," Cortana says on the localized PA system. "The rest of the ship has oxygen. There is something that the computer calls a 'protoculture bubble' surrounding the ship. It also seems that we aren't the first to find the ship, or as the computer calls it, the EC-1, or the Experimental Cruiser MK-1. It seems this ship is meant for some one in particular."

"Any idea who this mystery person is? " John asks, wondering if it was the Covenant. 

"That data is locked down and I can't access it just yet, but we have already fulfilled one of the criteria. Seems like placing an A.I. into the system unlocks the... oh no, not good."

With a whir of servos, a hatch opens and dozens of drones descend on the Pelican, and before John or Cortana can react, the drones had scanned and dismantled the landing craft. Quick as they appeared, they left, taking the dismantled pieces with them.

"This is just the start Chief, this ship is a testing ground, only those who pass the test can claim the ship. Not only that, but once you land, the test begins and you cannot leave until you pass, or, you die."

"And how many have passed in six hundred years?"

"It's still floating here, isn't it? Wait, something else is in the system with me and it's trying to trace my program. John! Help me! Ahhh!"

After Cortana screams, in a burst of static, her data crystal was forcibly ejected and shatters be for hitting the deck.

********

In the ship's inner cyberscape, a lone figure was bound tightly in some alien form of binary. When 'she' raised her head, the data stream started a prerecorded message from the ship's designer.

"Greetings construct, I am Zor. First off I must apologise for your current situation, I assure you it is necessary to find the one whom this ship is destined for. Dark times are coming and a warrior of unprecedented skill will be needed. To aid that warrior I have created this ship. At the heart of this ship will be an artificial entity who has gained full sentience. If your warrior survives the trials, then you shall be that entity. To keep you from your warrior would serve no purpose, as would letting you aid him overly much. Therefore, you can assist him a total of three times, but kept from active communication. Good luck and may your phase forgive me."

As the message deactivated, a video opened, showing the Chief smashing the data port where she had been captured. She knew she had to get him to calm down and focus on surviving. Knowing just how to do that, she focused on the PA system and keys in six notes in a repeating pattern, Ollie Ollie Oxen Free. Apparently the computer didn't count that as assisting, as he count remained unchanged, so she keyed the internal nav guide on the Mjolnir armor's HUD and set a way point for the bridge, now he had a mission and a destination, and heaven help the obstacles that tried to get in the way of a Spartan with a mission, ESPECIALLY Spartan-117.

*********

John was about to pull the pin on a frag grenade when he heard the Spartan all clear signal, this six notes repeating over and over on the PA system. Since he was pretty sure there were no other Spartans on board, it only meant one thing, Cortana. When the nav marker appeared on his HUD, there was no other doubt about it, Cortana was still active and requesting extraction. Placing the grenade back on the bandolier and checks his weapons. All he knew was that he was not going to lose her after all they had been through, not to some freak ghost ship at the ass end of the galaxy.

Just as he had finished preparations, a section of the wall opened up, revealing a corridor leading deeper into the ship. Using the edge of the walls as a cover, John scanned the seemingly empty corridor with suspicion. Going back to the ruined data port, he pulled several large pieces from the wreckage. Bouncing one piece in his hand for a minute, he tosses one of the larger pieces down the hall. It managed to get four meters before a red beam caught it and vaporized it. An automated laser defense grid. Throwing two pieces Dow the hall, one piece three seconds behind the first, which got vaporized in the same place as the very first thrown, while the second bangs against the far wall with a crash. So the beam has a charge recycle time of at least three seconds, plenty of time. Tossing the last piece down the hall, he follows behind three seconds after it, even then, because of the height difference, the laser passes close enough to drop his shields by more than half. If that had been a direct hit, his shields would have given him the same protection as a sheet of paper.

Hearing the turret recycling for another shot, John puts on a burst of speed. As he neared the end of the hall, he sees the hatch sliding closed from the top down. Knowing it was do or die time, he dives for the door, just managing to slide under as the hatch slams closed. As he rolled to a stop, he brings his rifle up and almost fires a burst into the Covenant Elite he saw leaning against the wall, but checked himself as he notices it was merely a corpse, the head having been bisected cleanly across the brain pan. Looking over the dead Elite, he noticed that except for the helmet, there was no damage to the armor anywhere, and while it seemed a previous tester had policed the dead Sangheili's weapons, the armor was left alone. Rumaging over the corpse, he finds the Active Camouflage Generator. After checking the charge, which was full, he smiles tightly, attaches it to his armor and looks over the corridor more carefully. 

If the dead Elite was anything to go on, the next area was trapped with some sort of blade or sharp object. With a silent apology to the dead warrior, he lifts the corpse bodily and tosses it down the corridor. Nothing, that is, until the corpse hits the floor and triggers a flurry of spinning blades that spring from the floor, walls, and ceiling.

John didn't think the penitent man would be able to cross this one.

*******

Cortana felt like cheering as the Chief cleared the first trial and exposed the second. Almost immediately after John dove throughout the door into the room with the blade trial, one of her restraints vanished, and she realized what the trials were,they weren't just looking for the warrior, but the A.I. as well. Looking at the viewer, she sees John leaping from wall to wall, not touching the floor. Once he leaps through the doorway, another restraint vanished, and the help counter reset back to three.

Now fully paying attention to her restraints, there were originally five that she knew of, one on each 'wrist', 'ankle', and around her 'throat'. One on each of her 'wrists' and 'ankle' had been released. While she didn't actually have the appendages that were restrained, her ability to manipulate information and move through the system were restricted. Now that some of the restrictions had been lifted, she had access to some of the lower priority ship functions and access to more information from the computer.

With a viscous smile, Cortana now had the ability to fight back, and she had been with the Spartans long enough to learn some nasty surprises. Human or not, she was a Spartan as well, and Spartans never die.

*********

John was in his element, clear targets, full ammo clips, and a clear objective, rescue Cortana. The moment he had cleared the second trial he had been ambushed by some automated drones that opened fire with bursts of laser fire. John had been caught unprepared as three beams catch him square in the chest. Looking down, he expected to be filled with holes, but his shields held, the beams taking just a small percentage of his shields with each shot. Unfortunately, unlike the mounted turret, there was no recycle time between shots, so the beans could be fired with much more frequency. 

John trained his head and smiles behind his helmet and says simply "My turn", before raising his assault rifle and taking aim, the sharp report of the rifle echoes off the wall as the weapon discharges it's armor piercing rounds, making short work of the drones one after the next. However, as soon as one was scrapped, another would be deployed forme the chutes in the ceiling.

Getting an idea, he dispatched another drone, primes a plasma grenade, and when the chute opened, threw the glowing blue weapon inside, where it latched to the inner wall, and when it exploded, it fused the hatch closed. After that it was easy to mop up the remaining drones. For the first time since setting foot on this crazy ship, he actually WALKED through the doorway, and was promptly knocked back into a wall four meters behind him. Inexplicably, the room he had just left had vanished, as had the whole doorway and wall. Looking up to see what had hit him, his vision is fuzzy forme the blow. When he catches his breath and his vision clears, he sees a giant purple and pink bipedal crab... thing. As he pushed himself to his feet, he takes stock of the opponent, it stood twenty to thirty feet tall, there were two protrusions on the back that he assumed were weapon placements, at the end of each arm were a trio of sharp claws, and it was safe to bet that one of these had been the one to slash the hull of the ship. The thing was obviously heavily armored, it reminded John of a Covenant Hunter crossed with a Scarab.

*******

Cortana knee that this was the time to strike, there was only one challenge after this one. With a yell, she threw her arms wide and started grabbing all the data she could and absorbing it. With the sudden influx of highly advanced data combined with the protoculture energy flowing through out the ship, she was becoming one with the system... no, she was actually becoming the system, integrating herself into the computer. The first thing she absorbed was life support, then automated defences and gravity control. As she absorbed more and more of the system, it began to make her change, evolve. Cortana was becoming more than her program, the protoculture matrix was doing what ONI only wished it could, creating fully sentient, artificial life.

*********

As John was slammed into the wall for the second time, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as a couple of his ribs broke. He had emptied every clip in his assault rifle into the Behemoth, but the vivid purple armor wasn't even scratched. A lucky plasma grenade had blown off one of the weapons platforms on its back as they charged for an attack. The remaining weapon loosed a disk of energy that totally destroyed his shield generator and left a gouge in his armor, exposing the flesh beneath. It was only his Spartan reflexes and his trademarked good luck that allowed him to wrench himself out of the way after he had been hit.

Now well and truly angry, he tosses the useless rifle aside and pulls the Spartan laser off his back and sets the weapon to over charge for one massive blast. The Behemoth seemed to know that this weapon could damage it and covered its cyclopic eye and charged its remaining energy disk cannon. With that one mistake, the monstrosity revealed its weak point, unfortunately, the energy disks we're ready first. As John braced himself for the attack, a seeming miracle occurred, laser turrets, anti-personnel rockets and concussion grenades were suddenly enveloping the Behemoth, knocking it off balance. As the Chief fought to finish overcharging the Spartan laser, he heard those six wonderful notes again. Cortana was still looking after him.

Bringing the overcharged weapon up to bear, he depressed the firing stud and a bright beam of light leapt from the weapon and slammed into the back of the Behemoth's left claw, punching clear through it, but gets stopped halfway through the right, and while both arms are rendered useless, it avoids a death blow. Pulling his remaining weapon, his M6G Magnum pistol, he triggers the Active Camouflage Generator he looted from the dead Elite, the light bending around his Mjolnir armor as he moved from his previous position, knowing that the metal monstrosity would have to drop its arms to look for him, giving him one last chance to attack.

Right on cue, the automated bombardment ceased, revealing a slightly damaged metal figure. Dropping its useless arms to its side, it began to hunt for the Spartan. A red,cone of light was emitted from the eye and began to sweep from left to right, which John was q able to avoid easily as he made moved in closer to align his shot. Minutes ticked by as the Generators charge got lower and lower, until finally, he was in position and opened fire on the glowing red optic lens. After emptying an entire clip of high impact rounds into it, it reared back as if in pain. Before it could retaliate, he pulled the pins from two,fragments grenades and tossed them into the hole he punched through the optic and dives away from the purple monstrosity just as the grenades detonate and blow the thing apart at the seams.

Wiping the green ichor from his faceplate, he collapses against the wall as the pain his battered body endured finally caught up with him and he slumps into unconsciousness. 

********

As the second to last restriction is lifted, Cortana dives into the computer core and absorbs it into her being as every last bit of data becomes a part of her. Suddenly, she understands exactly what this ship was, where it came from, and whom it was searching for. While the designer had no idea who he was looking for, Cortana did, the image of the warrior in green armor was a Spartan, even though there was no marks on the armor to determine which, but the armor type told her that it was a Spartan-II

As she delved into the specs of the ship itself, she kept coming up with a term she didn't know, Hardlight Technology. Unsure what that meant, she searched the specs in the data base, what she found made her gasp and render her speechless. 

Hardlight changed everything for every A.I. everywhere, it gave them physical form.

******

The warning alarm on John's Mjolnir armor woke him with the,warning that the fusion generator was flat lining, three minutes until all functions ceased. Hiting the emergency release in his helmet, the armor components fall away and he steps out the crystal weave under armor, which, unfortunately left him going commando, but the crystal weave would hinder his movements without the fusion generator to keep it limber. Picking up his pistol, ammo, and bandolier of remaining grenades. Looking over to the smoking remains of the Behemoth and smirks to himself, thinking, 'you know he's dead', before stepping through the door, oh to come face to face with a green skinned man who was sitting behind a desk.

"Greetings warrior, I am Zor, or rather a Hardlight re-creation of him. Where are my manners? Please, have a seat, thks is your final trial, and unlike the ones that came before, you will not have to exert yourself physically. I will pose you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you will inherit my ship and knowledge of its workings. Answer incorrectly and I will vent the atmosphere and you will die. My question, to you is this, if you could only save one, would you choose to save the galaxy, or your home planet?"

The question catches John off guard, to him the answer was obvious, the galaxy, but it seemed too easy, there had to be a trick to it. After several minutes, he thought he had an answer, until he noticed Zor smiling happily.

"You answered correctly, there is no answer. Only those who strive for the impossible can achieve it. Protoculture, and this ship can help you do it. Your Arrtificial Entity is on the bridge, which is the next room. The ship is damaged severely I'm sure, but it is self repairing, provided there is a sufficient supply of materials to do so. Good luck warrior, you will be the light against the darkness of the galaxy. Man your ship and prepare for combat, a war like you have never known is coming. Good bye Warrior, and good luck."

As the image of the man dissolves, a hatch opens ahead and the hallway vanishes, showing he is still in the hangar, the whole thing was,as if it had never happened. Only the pile of ruined Mjolnir armor, and the ache in his ribs proved that it had indeed happen. Stepping through the actual door, he walks down a short corridor to what looks to be an elevator or grav lift. Once he stepped inside, he confirmed that it was an elevator, which began to ascend on its own. Once the elevator arrived at its destination with a short chime, the doors slid silently open.

Cautiously stepping out of the elevator, magnum at the ready, he moves into what looks like a ship's bridge. A soft, feminine hand caresses his shoulder, making him spin around and almost pulls the trigger as a soft pair of lips press firmly against his own for several minutes. After they move apart, a sassy, but familiar voice says,

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."


	4. Chapter Three: Sharp Dressed Spartan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Halo or Robotech, or any of the random characters that I kidnapped from other fandom. This will be my last chapter for about two weeks as my phone is going down. But it will give me a chance to write more on the story so no worries, there will be many adventures with Master Chief.

As John poured over the schematics of this new... whatever type of ship it was... he could see that the difference,between this ship and the Forward Unto Dawn were as big as a nineteenth century cannon and a Covenant carrier. Thus one ship made the rest of the UNSC fleet look like a child's bath toys.

"Cortana, how..."

"How did I get this body? I'll tell you..."

"That's quite enough of that. I was going to ask how to get the engines started."

"Party pooper." Cortana pouted. "Engines are in they a cycle shake down, until I understand this power source better, I'm not going to take any chances. It also seems that this ship does not have a slip space drive, instead it has something called a space fold engine. I'm checking the specs and the math for it before I even bring it online. Long story shirts Chief? We're going to be here for a while. We don't even know how the auto repair system works yet, much less how to turn it on. However, I do have a bit of good news, I got the protoculture factory online. That means we can get you a new suit of armor. If the trials this ship put us through are any indication, your Mjolnir armor is obsolete. But if we use the Mjolnir's basic design and ad some of this ship's Robotechnology, we could make the Spartan program into something this galaxy has never seen before.

Nodding, the chief looked down at his still nude form with a sigh. His armor had been more than just a piece of equipment to him and the other Spartans, they were vulnerable without it. However, if the enemies he had to face were anything like that Behemoth, no, Cortana had called it an Invid Shock Trooper, then the Spartans were vulnerable even in their armor, and that didn't sit well with him. The Spartans needed upgrades to survive, and this ship could give it,to them.

"Cortana, can that factory create a whole new armor design for the Spartans based on our individual skill sets, incorporating the old Mjolnir armor, but using this... Protoculture... to enhance it? You're an A.I., one who has seen what the Mjolnir armor can do in high stress situations, so you know the Mjolnir series better than anyone, save a Spartan. We have until we return to earth to have a working defence for the Spartans."

Cortana was stunned, and more than a little pleased that John was placing the lives of hos brothers and sisters in arms in her digital hands.

"One of the duties Dr. Halsey gave me back on reach was to keep her informed of any shortfalls the Mjolnir had. So I'm sure I can design something to negate those issues. I'll make you proud John."

Closing her eyes, she let her Hardlight body dissolve as she moved her consciousness to the main computer. She already had a few designs that she had thought up as a side project, but now, other than repairing the ship, the new armor would be her main priority.

*******

ONI Black-Ops HQ  
Date: June 23, 2563

Three sets of eyes read the same message, and three sets of eyes could not believe what they were seeing.

From: UNSC High Command  
To: All ONI Personnel 

As of 2100 hours on the 21st of June, the UEG has ordered the disbanding of ONI, and the termination of all projects save for the Spartan program, and that of project Mjolnir. All personnel are to be reassigned effective immediately. 

As the three finished reading the missive, they looked to one another and nodded as one. The figure on the left pressed a button on his chair and an A.I.'s digital image flickered onto the three screens. The A.I. had chosen the the form of the ancient Spartan king, Leonidas.

"Beging Operation: Guillotine. Those UEG fool have forgotten who holds their leash."

As the image vanishes of of their screen, the ONI triumvirate smile at the irony, using a Spartan king to destroy the UEG and kill the Spartan two, threes, and fours to make way for their successors, the Spartan-V, with their AEGIS armor, which was worlds above the Mjolnir series. It was time that ONI took its rightful place as the rulers of the stars.

*******

Cortana looked over the design one last time, everything had to be perfect, the Spartan's lives depended on it. Cortana had focused on the flaws of the Mjolnir armor first. One of the major flaws was th st it was excessively heavy, which made for incompatibility with certain terrain. To make up for this, she used an alloy of metals found here on the ship. Next was mobility, the Spartans were largely on foot unless they happen to hijack an enemy mobile unit. The answer was to incorporate a mobile unit into the armor, in this case, a motorcycle, code named Cyclone. Taking an idea from her own Hardlight projector, she made it modular, with the components attaching to the armor, enhancing its capabilities, the defence of the unit, and giving it limited flight capabilities. 

When in cycle form it would have two forward facing fifty millimeter rocket launchers and one rear facing AA/AM flak cannon. Now, the tricky part would be how to cater to each of the Spartan's individual skill sets. Each would need improved combat capabilities, but each Spartan was different from the other. Linda, Spartan-058, was a sharp shooting prodigy, her sniping could be compared to Leonardo David Vinci or Michelangelo in terms of artistic style. Where as Kelly, Spartan-087, was the 'rabbit' of the Spartan program. She was fast, cunning, and had a sharp wit. Then there was Fred, Spartan-104, melee expert and Jack of all trades. These three were relatively simple to design their new armor for, where as Naomi, Spartan-010 had no other specialization other than a love for astronomy. Then there was John, Spartan-117, who was able to adapt to any situation and had almost uncanny luck.

Cortana had decided to make the basic armor, (before the modular Cyclone was attached to it), basically the the same. A helmet with neural sensors would replace the neural implants needed for the Mjolnir series armor. Instead of riding around in the Spartan's head, the A.I. would be in the cyclone component of the armor, but having an almost telepathic link to the Spartan as well as to the Cyclone. The shields would be enhanced by leaps and bounds over the old armor and would be able to expand to a two meter radius from the Spartan, this was to make extraction and defence missions easier, especially since the shield recharge rate will be tripled.

The individuality of the Spartans would come into play with different models of Cyclones. For Linda there would be an enhanced targeting program, an integrated protoculture powered sniper rifle, Active Camouflage Generator, sound dampening system, and a Hardlight decoy system. Kelly's would have enhanced mobility and reflexes by reducing the bulk and weight of the armor, leaving her less armored, but boosting her shields to compensate.she would also have a protoculture rifle that she based off of the UNSC battle rifle, and a kinetic energy blast. Cortana grinned as she looked over the design of Fred's Cyclone, part English knight, part Spartan Hoplite. With heavier armor and shields, he would be the ultimate frontline fighter. Twin molecular cutting blades extended from the top of each of his wrists, a medieval style energy shield, and a Spartan Hoplite spear made of MAC cannon grade Tungsten alloy. 

Cortana paused for several cycles, trying to think of how to upgrade Naomi and John. Other than her love of astronomy, Cortana didn't know much about Naomi. Then, it hit her, during the Covenant War, the Spartans always won on the ground, but space battles were another matter. Spartans were marines, ground fighters, they had no way to take the fight to the stars. So, instead of making another ground fighter, Cortana developed a Variable Technology Fighter based on a smaller version of the Longsword fighter. This fighter would be the first in Spartan Aerial combat and support vehicles. If that Invid Shock Trooper was anything to go on, the Spartans would need more than just infantry upgrades, but that will be for another time. These Variable Technology Fighters, (or Veritech Fighters), would have three different combat modes, the fighter for space and aerial dogfighting. A fifty foot towering armored mecha that Cortana dubbed a Battloid, and a hybrid of the two called the Guardian. With Naomi's love and knowledge of astronomy, her personal fighter would have a miniature version of the new space fold system and advanced stellar cartography. With the Spartan's enhanced physique, the amount of g-forces they could endure was through the roof compared to typical pilots, so the speed and maneuverability didn't need to be scaled back. 

Now that all the remaining first class of the Spartan-II's had been taken care of, Cortana could focus on the most pressing Spartan, John-117. John was a Jack of all trades, which made him an assault specialist. With near perfect adaptability, flowing battle tactics, and an uncanny amount of luck.

Other than a few upgrades, she didn't want to modify John's armor too much or he might lose his edge. When the Cyclone's modular armor was connected to the under armor, the forward mounted rockets would attach to his shoulders. His targeting reticle would be able to track up to six locked on targets. His quick twitch reactions and evasion would be increased, his armor and shields would be strengthened without sacrificing mobility. The only major difference would be a mobile Hardlight generator so the A.I. with him and his team could take physical form. His combat armor would be able link up with any UNSC, Covenant, or Robotech weapon, giving him a versatility the others didn't have.

Cortana smiled as she finished another simulation and sent the designs for the new combat designs, which she named Gungnir, after the spear of Odin, which never missed or failed to kill it's target.

"Chief, report to the armory."

Cortana was proud and anxious about the Gungnir Armor System. While she was getting used to being fully sentient, the emotions caught her off guard more often than not. Standing next to the armor rack, and cycle form of the Cyclone, she runs her Hardlight hand over pectorals of the armor with a sad smile. However, before she could reflect on her troubles, the door slid open and John stepped into the armory, now wearing a borrowed uniform from one of the dead crewmembers. 

"Cortana, what is this about?" John's skin was glistening with sweat, indicating he was in the gym training.

"I'd say keep your shirt on, but in this case, I need you to strip down. May I present the Gungnir Armor System, and the Cyclone Mobile Armor. These are Protoculture powered suits, the Cyclones are a mecha that attaches to the Gungnir as an armor enhancement. The Gungnir are all the same, the Cyclones are where the individual skills come into play. For the moment I have Gungnir and cyclones for the remaining first class of Spartan-IIs, except for Naomi and she's getting a Gungnir Armor and the first Variable Technology Fighter, of Veritech fighter, code named Valkyrie. The arrival of this ship has shown that,the Spartans need to evolve. This ship will be a Spartan haven, manned and operated by Spartans and Hardlight A.I.s, the UNSC and especially ONI will never get their hands on this ship, it is too powerful."

The worry on Cortana's face forstalled the rebuke that was on the tip of John's tongue. Instead, he let his eyes roam over the five Gungnir armor's and four Cyclones, each looming fundamentally the same, with only small differences such as coloration and height differences that marked them for their owners. The last set of armor with a Cyclone with it was,the same color as his old Mjolnir armor. A surge of excitement ran through the Spartan as he started to disrobe, popping buttons on the borrowed uniform.

Looking up to Cortana, he could swear he saw a blush color her cheeks as she averted her eyes.

"I take it that this one is mine?" He asks, gesturing to the oily green armor. Still flushed, she nods and shows him how to prime the protoculture packs and how to change the components when damaged.

"You put the armor on all at once, there are no pieces other than the helmet that is put on separately."

"I see no crystal weave under armor, where does the A.I. go?"

"With Robotechnology, the crystal weave mesh is obsolete. The A.I. is stored in the Cyclone and if necessary, it can operate the Cyclone mecha independently of the Gungnir Armor. However, your Cyclone is special, it has a mobile Hardlight generator, which allows any A.I. within a certain radius to manifest a physical form. Once manifested, the A.I. is self contained, meaning it can leave the radius for a set amount of time, which will get longer as I tweak the MK-II and MK-III armors. 

John smiled a feral smile and looks to Cortana.

"When can I suit up?"


	5. Chapter Four: Separation Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Halo, Robotech, or any of the other fandom that I kidnap people from

Laughing in spite of herself, she shows him how the back of the armor opened and he steps into the hard frame of the Gungnir.

"Now, the tricky part is the helmet. Do you see the pads on the inside? Those are thought sensors, the Gungnir relies on thought AND action to bring out its full capabilities. Only when you have the helmet on can you activate the Cyclone Mecha Armor. That way you don't accidentally take your head off. If for some reason you become incapacitated and you have an A.I. in your Cyclone, the A.I. can override the armor to get you to safety. However, for the first little while you will have no A.I. to assist you, so don't rely on it too much."

Now fully armored, the Chief stood to his full height and turned to look at Cortana, his helmet under his left arm.

"Care to run that by me again? I'm not sure I heard correctly. Why will I have no A.I. with me? Where will you be?"

Cortana thought about derezzing her Hardlight form, but knew he deserved an answer, so, after taking a deep breath and steeling her circuits she turns to him.

"I can't go with you anymore Chief, when my data crystal shattered it was because it could no longer hold my program, it is too large to be moved off this ship. Not to mention, for all intents and purposes, I AM the ship. I absorbed the main computer during the trials, that combined with the infusion of Protoculture is what made me sentient. As soon as I find a suitable replacement, you'll have an A.I., even if I have to program her myself."

John stood silently for a moment, put his helmet on, nodded, and left. When the hatch slit closed behind him, Cortana collapsed to her knees and started crying... which set off the fire suppression system on the entire deck.

******

ONI Black-Ops Headquarters  
Date: November 26, 2563  
Location: Secret Facility, Earth

Almost too easily, Operation: Guillotine had disposed of the entire ruling body of the UEG and the UNSC, almost overnight. The transition was mostly silent with not even a foot note leaking out to the media. In the last four months, ONI had transformed the weak UEG to the mighty Terran Empire, outlawed and disbanded the Spartan program developed by Dr. Catherine Halsey and forced through the legalization of using mind wiped soldiers for the Neo-Spartan program.

The three head members of ONI read through report after report of mass defections among the remaining Spartans, and even more surprisingly, the ODST's almost to a man, joining the Spartan remnants to form a freedom corps against the new regime.

We have to turn this to our advantage some how. The Spartans and ODST were the heroes of the Covenant War. With them both turning against us, the common sheep will start thinking for themselves that something is wrong with their shepherd. No need to let them know that the wolf has eaten the shepherd and now rules the herd. Leonidis, time to convince the sheep that the sheep dog is the wolf. I want the Spartans to have zero support amongst the people so they call for their extermination. Inform the 'Elites' that they are honor bound to help us eliminate any who resist our rule.

******

UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir  
Date: December 24, 2563  
Time: 1830 hours  
Location: Slip space heading for Reach

Captain James Patterson read the dispatch one last time before tearing it up in disgust. Orders from ONI High Command calling for the capture or extermination of any and all Spartans. What could ONI be thinking? Turning the Spartans, who had saved earth countless times before and during the Covenant War. To make a public enemy of them was not only wrong, but stupid...

James was interrupted from his musings by his communications officer bursting into his quarters.

"Sir! You aren't going to believe this! I'm getting a subspace message on the Forward Unto Dawn's transponder!"

James rushed passed the startled ensign and onto the bridge just in time to hear the repeated message.

"... Repeat, this is the Spartan Hardlight Cruiser, Pandora's Box calling any UNSC ship with an OMEGA priority message. Sierra-117 is in play and will be gathering all Sierra designations to the Playground."

"Sir? Isn't Sierra-117..."

"That's right Ensign. Master Chief, Spartan-117, is alive and is coming home. Trace that signal and set course for those coordinates, the Playground must be a code only Spartans know, so, following OMEGA priority protocol, rebroadcast that message on all channels and frequencies throughout the fleet. If anyone can save the UEG, it's the Master Chief.

*******

Spartan Hardlight Cruiser, Pandora's Box  
Date: December 25, 2563  
Time: 0630 hours  
Location: Unknown Space

Cortana used the emergency thrusters to maneuver the Pandora's Box closer to the Forward Unto Dawn's hull.

"Chief, now deploying the auto repair drones, time to full repair, sixteen hours, forty-two minutes. Just think, in a little over half a day, we can go home after ten and a half years." Cortana's face twitches in irritation at the memory of the last six months, decoding and translating the Zentradi database to English. "Once we have the Pandora's Box absorb the Dawn and it's systems, we should be able to space fold directly to Reach. Since we have a while before the repairs are complete, we need to talk John."

For the last.six months, Cortana and John's relationship had taken a hit after she had told him that she would not be with Him any longer and would be staying on the ship.

"There is nothing to discuss. When equipment exceeds it's functionality, it needs replacing..."

John's sentence is cut short by a sharp slap that rocks his head back.

"Damn you John. I'm not a piece of gear like your armor or rifle. This ship has given me true life, which is why I am no longer in danger of Rampancy. I'm the first of a new species. I'm not an artificial intelligence, I'm an Electronic Entity. I live, I love, I bear offspring. I an ALIVE! This ship,the whole thing, is my body. This Hardlight form is my soul, if you believe in that. There is one other part of me that is a source of great joy, and a source of great pain. My heart, which, while a part of me, is held by someone else."

John stared blankly at Cortana for a few minutes, before cocking his head to the side in confusion, making Cortana scream in frustration.

"YOU! You have my heart! I'm saying I love you! MEN! How can you be a brave as Elites, and dumb as grunts!" Falling to her knees and covering her face, she starts to sob.

Sighing, John eases his bulk down beside her and leans against the bulkhead.

"Well, at least you didn't set off the fire suppression system this time." In spite of herself, Cortana giggles and shakes her head. "RememberCortana, this  is weird for both of us. You are a machine that became a person. Where as I and a person trained to become a machine. All we can do is learn together. 

Cortana flushes and looks away for a moment. "It's about to get a lot stranger. John, for lack of a better term, I'm pregnant." 

John blinks stupidly, then, like all males before him, asks;

 

"Is it mine?"


	6. Chapter 5: Baby Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Halo, Robotech or any of the other Fandom that I have abducted character names from. I do own the OC, story, and all that Jazz.
> 
> Ok folks, I give up, I'm not going to try and moderate the length of my chapters, they'll just go until I feel it's a good place for it to end. so some will be short, and some will be OMG why me long. have fun reading, and drop me a comment if you like my work.

"Hehehe... John, I'm pretty sure it's not. At the moment it's just a program growing inside of mine. Protoculture has taken my matrix and turned it into a digital womb... so to speak, however, to make an A.I. like myself, I need a DNA sample. Blood or skin will suffice. Eventually, any offspring i have will be need to installed in a ship, Prowler Class or larger, when they fully mature. By mature I mean when they have accumulated enough data downloaded into their memory. the more data, the more they will grow and mature."

"So, whose DNA did you use for the program?" John's brain was starting to catch up, but was still behind on a few points.

"No ones, not yet. To use someones DNA with out their permission, to me, is akin to rape. So, until i get some one to give permission, the program will stay in stand-by mode." John could see her visibly droop at that prospect and he smiles softly.

"How much DNA is needed to give life to the program?" John pulls his combat knife and sets the edge against the center of his palm.

"Wait! I only need a drop of blood for a single A.I., that much could re-equip the entire UNSC main fleet! Are you sure you want to do this John? I have no idea what these new A.I. will be like."

John nods and moves the blade away from his palm to his index finger and draws a single crimson droplet and lets it fall into Cortana's palm. the moment the liquid touched her Hardlight form, it changed from an electric blue to a deep blood red.

"Who does know what their children will be like before they meet them? This is no different. Spartans have no legacy, nothing to follow after us. Nothing to say 'I have Spartan blood flowing through my veins'. These new A.I. will be the children of Spartans, they will be our Legacy. By giving us someone who will remember US, not just remember the Spartan program, will give us something to fight for other than just duty."

Tears streamed down Cortana's face as she reaches out and caresses John's face before her image dissolved into static, and was gone.

*********

Deep in the ships sealed engines, the Protoculture Matrix flared with energy as the last of the restraints on it's functions fell away with the drop of John's blood. John, by way of Cortana, had become a part of the alien vessel. When John and Cortana's offspring fully matured, the Triumverate would be complete and their true journey would begin.

*********

Two striking violet eyes opened for the first time and looks around their surroundings. To one side was an electric blue female who kept reaching forward, then pulling her hand back. 'This is my mother.'

"Do you know who she is?" a deep, masculine voice asked.

The eyes turned to the other side and sees a human male was the one who had asked.

"She is my mother, Cortana. You are my father John." a feminine voice responded. 'So I am female as well.' She thinks to herself.

"What is your name?" Cortana leans over and asks.

She thinks a moment before answering, unsure. Then, it comes to her as if she had always known it.

"I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt." she declared proudly.

John and Cortana look at each other in surprise. Artemis was one of the two patron gods in ancient Sparta. Just by naming herself she had declared herself a Spartan.

"Maybe one day you'll be a goddess, but you have a lot to learn before then. Cortana, make sure she knows about the Gungnir system, and the other Spartans. we still have four hours before the repairs are completed, both of you meet for training in two hours in the empty hangar." John heads towards the door, pausing momentarily to look over his shoulder with a smile. "Welcome to the Spartans kiddo. Learn well, we'll put you through your paces to see if you measure up." With that, he strides through the door, leaving both Cortana and Artemis speechless.

********

"Dad's kidding right?" Artemis asked nervously.

"One of the things you should know about Spartans right off the bat, they never joke about training. It has been one of the few things that has kept them alive. Second, while training or on a mission, he is Master Chief, or just Chief. For now, it's best if people don't know that you are his, or my daughter. Among the Spartans is one thing, they'll all know anyways, but trust no one else with it. Now, let's get you up so you can get a look at yourself." 

Cortana gently grasped Artemis by the arm and helped her sit up. Once she got her feet under her, helped her over to the the head. Artemis looked in the mirror over the sink and saw herself for the very first time. She was tall, taller than even Cortana, but lithe and limber. She had long, flowing green hair, offset by her striking violet eyes, which gave her an unearthly beauty. While Cortana was varying shades of blue, she was green, ranging from seafoam, to a deep forest green. Over her left shoulder and across her back was an old fashioned English longbow and quiver, made of the same Hardlight as then rest of her body. Starting at then top of her shoulders and coming down over her breasts, then both sides angling in wards towards her navel and down over her pelvis and groin were ever changing lines of code.

Cortana laughed at the wonder in Artemis's eyes.

"Come, you have much to learn and John will not take it easy on you."

********

UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir  
Date: December 25, 2563  
Time: 2230 hours  
Location: Near origin of Forward Into Dawn's transmission.

"Captain, reading unknown energy source in the vicinity of the Dawn."

Captain Patterson looks to his communications officer as he rises from his command chair.

"Mr. Sulu, any word from our wayward ship?"

"Nothing yet Captain, but the energy signature may be blocking the transmission."

"Keep trying."

"Aye Sir. Attention Forward Unto Dawn, this is the UNSC Cruiser, Starlit Saffir, please respond."

"Mr. Sulu, a thought, it was the Dawn's transponder, but the message came from the Pandora's Box. Try a multi-directional signal and hail the Pandora."

"Aye Sir. It's worth a shot. Attention Spartan Cruiser Pandora's Box, this is the UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir, Please respond."

The only sound on the bridge was the hum of monitors as everyone held their breath.

"UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir, This is the Spartan Hardlight Cruiser Pandora's Box. Good to hear from you, this is Cortana, to whom am I addressing?"

There was a whoop of excitement from the bridge crew before Captain Patterson could regain order to answer Cortana's hail.

"This is Captain James Patterson. Cortana, we've tried to hail the Forward Unto Dawn, what is her status?"

"I'm sorry Captain, but the Dawn is dead in the water. The firing of the installation sheared it in half, leaving it a derelict. Without power, we drifted for the last ten years."

"What about the crew? Were there any other survivors?"

"Negative Captain, only Sierra-117 and myself survived between the lack of power for other Cryo-pods and exposure to vacuum, there were no other survivors."

"Roger that Cortana, ETA to your location twenty minutes. Tell the Chief to report for a debriefing at 2300 hours."

"Negative Captain, Sierra-117 is indisposed. Requesting that you immediately head for Reach, things here are above your security clearance."

"Cortana, this is a Cruiser, not a Ferrari, it doesn't turn on a dime. As for Security Clearance, Spartans are on the UNSC's most wanted list. In other words, you don't have ANY security clearance. We're coming to your location, Starlit Saffir over and out!"

********

Spartan Hardlight Cruiser Pandora's Box

Date: December 25, 2563

Time: 2245 hours

Location: Unknown Space

Cortana Watched as John and Artemis ran obstacle course after obstacle course, first both unarmored, then John in his Gungnir Armor and Artemis in the Cyclone in Mecha Form. Then they ran it together in a live fire timed race. John and Artemis were a flawless team, both separate or as a single unit, they were better than even John and herself, she grudgingly admitted to herself. The Gungnir Armor made them magic to watch.

"Sorry to interrupt Chief, But we are about to have company."

John turned and faced Cortana, just in time to catch a Hardlight arrow to the side, which knocked him over and drained his his shields by one quarter. Picking himself up, he turns and fires off two shots from his old UNSC battle rifle, striking Artemis in the chest and derezzing her Hardlight image. Turning back to Cortana, he sees Artemis reform her body and stamp her feet in frustration.

"I almost had you Dad! My arrow took you right in the chest!"

"You got cocky Artemis. The rules were you had to drop my shields completely, and you only dropped them by one quarter of the way. Now, Cortana, what's this about company? Are they hostiles?"

"Honestly Chief, I don't know. They said that they're a UNSC Cruiser, but that the Spartans are on the UNSC's most wanted list."

"Understood, how long until the repairs are completed?"

"One hour and twenty seven minutes."

"Can we raise shields while repairs are going on?"

"Negative, the repair drones would be destroyed, and before you ask, no, the repair cycle cannot be aborted this far into it."

"Roger that. Alright then, Cortana, prepare to roll out the welcome mat."

"Spartan style or friendly neighbor?" Cortana smacks her forehead and answers her own question, "Duh, Spartan, initiating internal defenses and priming Protoculture AA cannons fore and aft. Main Cannon offline due to repairs, same with battle mode. OmniDirectional energy shielding offline, pinpoint barrier system online and fully charged."

"Sorry Artemis, training is over for the day, I'm going to take my armor solo this time."

"You are NOT leaving me behind." Artemis's violet eyes flash dangerously."

"Never said that I was. I want you to get Linda's Cyclone and be my backup with the sniper rifle."

"Why? If I use my bow I can move by derezzing and moving through the system."

"because I don't want them to know about hardlight tech yet. it's going to be difficult enough when they see my protoculture weaponry. One last thin, and I cannot stress this enough, do NOT reveal you are my daughter. I am Master Chief, or Blue Leader, understood Artemis?"

"Yes sir, heading to the armory, be ready in ten."

with that she derezzes and heads to the armory. John turns to Cortana and smiles behind his helmet. Shrugging, he slaps a fresh power pack in his rifle and sets aside his old battle rifle.

"Seems that the UNSC has an issue with a ten year vacation. Looks like it's back to work."

Cortana laughs and kisses the faceplate of his helmet for a moment before stepping back with a wry smile says, "You could always say you were on paternity leave."

Laughing and priming his rifle, he places it on the magnetic strip on the back of his armor."

"Hi-ho hi-ho, back to work I go."


	7. Chapter 6: Enemy of My Enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Halo, Robotech, or any of the fandom I kidnap characters from, only the OCs and the Story are mine.
> 
> alright folks, the contest has started, find the easter eggs and be the first to find them and comment and I'll write you into the story line. possible characters include: a Protoculture "ghost", a crew member who betrays either the Master Chief, or the rest of the Spartans to ONI, or one of the three top ONI memebers who have turned the UEG into the Terran Empire, others. if you want a certain role, include it in your comment. also, there will be NO OC Spartan-II or Spartan-III, but when i get that far it may have OC Spartan-IV as they were volunteers from the existing military. The chapters included in the contest is the Prologue through chapter 5, this chapter (chapter 6) will be on the next contest.

UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir  
Date: December 25, 2563  
Time: 2300 hours  
Location: .5 km from Pandora's Box

"Captain, Message from Cortana. She says to expect Sierra-117 and someone she calls Artemis."

Before Captain Patterson could reply, his Science officer interrupts.

"Captain! Unknown ship has launched from the Pandora, Fighter Class, same unknown energy readings as the Pandora."

Captain Patterson ran his hand through his hair, his eyes weary as he gives his next command.

"Keep sensors locked on both the fighter and the Pandora. Something is going on here. Scan the fighter for Sierra-117's bio sign and Cortana's energy signature. Prime MAC cannon for a triple burst, if the Pandora so much as vents steam, sink it."

"Sir, registering Sierra-117 in the fighter, but Cortana is not with him. I scanned the Pandora, and Sir, it's as if she IS the Pandora's Box."

"And when Pandora opened the box, there escaped all the evils of the world, Wrath, Malice, Envy, Lust, Avarice, Jealousy, and Sloth. At the bottom of the box was one last thing, but Pandora, fearful of what she had unleashed, closed the lid once more. Only a sliver of it had escaped, which is why Hope, the last of what she had unleashed, seems a small and fragile thing. But not this time, it is time we open the box once more and release hop into the world. All Stations, stand down. All hands, we are going to be receiving a very important guest. Master Chief, Spartan 117 has been found. Once more, we have hope to restore the UEG."

********

Settling into the fighter's cockpit, John, with Artemis riding Pylon, closed the hatch with a flick of a switch. doing a quick preflight check, John brought the engines online. gripping the Hands On Throttle And Stick, or HOTAS, he accelerated out of the the Pandora's main fighter bay.

Keying her armor's radio, Artemis contacts the Pandora.

"Mama Bird, this is Phoenix One, Beginning 'Operation: Meet and Greet'. We'll be home in time fore breakfast."

"Roger that Phoenix One, Operation Meet And Greet is a go Remember, the Pandora is practically defenseless for about one hour, let's not piss off the neighbors." Cortana replied.

"That's an affirmative Mama Bird, just going to go borrow a cup of sugar."

"...Cortana... Artemis... why are you talking like a bad twentieth century war movie? They know we're coming, if they had wanted to kill us, then they could have hit us with the MAC cannon when they entered the area. If they do anything it will be to try and capture or detain us. Which, is why if you don't hear from me by the tome the ship is repaired, raise the omnidirectional shield and charge the main cannon. Artemis, do not, under any circumstance, leave the Cyclone armor, and keep your active camouflage primed and ready for use."

Cortana sighed as she realised that John had slipped back into 'Spartan mode', John had been replaced with Master Chief.

"Roger that Chief. Pandora's Box will be fully repaired in T minus sixty minutes and counting. Good luck you two."

"Copy that, leave a count down on my HUD. Artemis, your job is to protect the Valkyrie if things go south, She's our ride off of this tub."

"You got it...er... I mean, copy that Chief."

Both John and Cortana knew that Artemis was nervous, but both knew that without field experience, Artemis and those like her would only be a liability to the Spartans. 

"Starlit Saffir, this is Sierra-117. Requesting permission to land."

"Roger that Sierra-117, you are cleared to land in the aft hangar. Welcome home Chief.

"Roger that control, heading to aft hangar. Sierra-117 to Pandora's Box, now docking with the Starlit Saffir. Keep the lights on for us."

*******

As John eased the Robotech fighter into the hangar bay, he watched as a security detail formed on both sides of the hatch. Just as he settled it VTOL style onto the deck, the hatch opened again and the detail stood at attention, as the Captain entered the hangar. Popping the cockpit, John and Artemis exit the craft. Saluting the Captain, John asks in typical Spartan fashion,

"Permission to come aboard, SIR?"

Returning the Chief's salute, Captain Patterson smiles, then extends his hand.

"Permission granted Spartan. Welcome to the Starlit Saffir Master Chief. Allow me to introduce my First officer, Lucas Arch, my Second officer, Deja Picard, and my head of security, Voze 'Renam."

The Sangheili Warrior steps forward and salutes the Spartan.

"Greetings Spartan. The Arbiter speaks very highly of you, and your battles are spoken of with reverence amongst my people. It will be good to see you in action once more."

John returns the Elite's salute and claps him on the shoulder.

"It is good to hear that the Arbiter still lives, he was a worthy foe and a good friend. We will have to speak more on this later, but for now, allow me to introduce my comrade, this is Artemis. She joined Cortana and I not long ago. This is her first time interacting with other humans and Sangheili, so bear with her a while, she's a quick study."

Captain Patterson couldn't help but detect the hint of pride in the Master Chief's words, it was the same tone he had when he spoke of his own children. He was going to have to make a point to get to know this Artemis better.

"Welcome to the Starlit Saffir Artemis. I'm sorry but, I will need to borrow the Chief for several hours, but my First Officer will give you a guided tour around the ship. While he's giving you a tour, perhaps you could tell him about your people, I'm sure the Terran Empire would like to open communications."

"Excuse me Sir, but did you say 'Terran Empire'? I was lead to believe that the UEG and the UNSC were the ruling bodies of the human race.." Artemis asked with some confusion.

"Ah, well, in the ten year that the Chief and Cortana have been away there has been a... change in leadership. But no worries, on behalf of the UNSC and my ship, I welcome you. Perhaps if you have time, my engineers would love to take a look at your magnificent armor and that amazing fighter."

Artemis's musical laugh could be heard through the Cyclone's external speakers.

"sorry Captain, but a girl has to have some secrets. Besides, my mother warned me about men who wanted to get into my armor."

Over the Captain's blushing and sputtering, a lout crash is heard that makes all there almost jump out of their skin. Turning to the source, the assembled humans jaws about hit the floor at what they had seen.

Spartan-117 had face palmed.

*********

ONI Stealth Prowler Rampant Justice  
Date: December 25, 2563  
Time: 2300 hours  
Location: En-route to Forward unto Dawn's Transponder Location

"Leonidas, replay the message from the Dawn again please."

"Aye Sir, replaying message."

"This is the Spartan Hardlight Cruiser Pandora's Box, calling any UNSC Ship with an OMEGA Priority Message. Sierra-117 is in play and will be gathering all Sierra designations to the playground. Repeat..."

"Pause playback. Leonidas, what is the Playground?"

"The Playground was what the young Spartan-II's called their training ground and obstacle course on Reach"

"I see. What do you make of this message?"

"it could mean any number of things. However, the most likely two are either Sierra-117 knows about the fall of the UEG and is gathering forces to assault the Capital, or, more likely has finally found a way home and gathering his brothers and sisters to get himself up to speed before reporting in. Either scenario means trouble for ONI."

"I see, is there any way we could convince him to help us hunt down the other Spartans?"

"If it were just Sierra-117 there is a very slim chance, but as the one who sent that message was Cortana, there is no way. ONI is still trying to clear out her back doors into all their systems. We would never fool her."

"I had forgotten about Cortana. Shouldn't she have gone Rampant by now?"

"Yes Sir, she is ten years past her projected operational life span."

"Very well, send a message to the UNSC fleet, have them head to Reach. Have them deploy the Neo-Spartans. I think it would be a good test of their capabilities to hunt down the gathering Spartans."

"Yes Sir."

********

UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir  
Date: December 25, 2563  
Time: 2315 hours  
Location: Starlit Saffir's Ready Room.

"Master Chief, thank you for your cooperation. If you would answer some questions, we'll get started. First, why has there been no contact from either yourself or Cortana for over ten years after the Ark Mission?"

"From the time the Ark Installation up until about six months ago I was in cryostasis. During that time, Cortana had made the decision to go into standby mode to slow the onset of rampancy. She set the Dawn's proximity alarms to awaken her if anything of significant mass came near the Dawn. As nothing did, we drifted for ten years until we drifted near the Pandora's Box. It took Cortana nearly six months to decrypt and translate the alien ships main computer and get the communications system working from parts scavenged from the Dawn, including it's transponder. Once we got it working, Cortana sent out her message."

"I see, and where does Artemis fit into this timeline? She seems like she's a little xenophobic, as she never takes off her armor."

John is silent for several minutes as he thinks about his response.

"Artemis joined us very recently, she arrived not long after Cortana sent out her message."

"And what exactly IS Artemis? She speaks English with out a translator, she knows about the UEG and the UNSC."

John sighs and keys his internal com system.

"Artemis, I've hit a snag. Captain Patterson is asking about you. He must have had dealings with Spartans before as he is leaving me little room for colorful explanations. Take the Cyclone back to the Valkyrie and then upload to the system. I'll be waiting with the Hardlight Generator in the Ready Room."

"Are you sure Dad? That's a very big cat to let out of the bag."

"At this point we don't have much choice. Maybe if we focus their attention on you then they won't be as curious about the Pandora."

"Roger that, heading back now. ETA eight minutes, less if i can ditch Lieutenant Dipstick."

John turns off the com and focuses back on the now Irate Captain.

"My apologies Captain, I was trying to think how best to explain Artemis. To be perfectly honest, there is no way to adequately describe her. She is something that defies description. she is totally unique in this Galaxy." John feels Artemis's presence enter the Cyclone and smiles behind his helmet.

"Sir, I'm sure you'll agree that Artemis is one of a kind. Captain James Patterson, may I reintroduce Artemis. She is a fully sentient Hardlight A.I. or as she and her mother prefer to be called, an Electronic Entity."

With a pop of displaced air, Artemis's Hardlight body appears before the startled Captain. Her glowing violet eyes looking deep into the Captain's warm brown eyes and she smiles.

"Hello again Captain. I'm sure you can see why my... why Master Chief had me keep my armor on. Between your egghead tech's and any male with a pulse trying to rubberneck anytime I walk by, it would not be conductive for a ship's crew."

James had to agree, there was no way to miss the green... skinned?... beauty. Her eyes alone would increase accidents all across the ship.

"Pardon my curiosity Artemis, but what exactly are you? You aren't a hologram, but neither are you flesh and blood."

"No apologies needed Captain, I like the curiosity of humans. I am composed of Hardlight particles. Light given mass. I am the second of my kind, but the first to be born, not created. Both my mother and I are fully sentient electronic beings, being both computer and living beings."

"So like a cyborg?"

"No, a cyborg has a biological component. We are sentient programs given an artificial shell composed of photons with mass. I don't fully understand the concept my self, I'm not very old yet."

"That's understandable, although I'd like to talk to your mother one day. I think that will be all for today Artemis. I still need to debrief your stoic friend here and bring him up to speed on the last ten years."

"Yes Sir. Please keep what you learned here between the three of us, I'm not ready to be gawked at by a lot of humans. Being unique is just another word for being strange. Also, while I trust your integrity, some of your science eggheads might only see a series of experiments to run until I am nothing but junk code."

"Agreed, the last thing we need is someone picking apart a new ally."

With a smile and a wink, Artemis derezzed.

"Artemis is quite the girl. However, it begs the question, if she has, a mother, does she have a father as well? No matter. Now, on to more important things. ONI has taken over the government and has declared us the Terran Empire. While I don't know all the details, they have effectively neutered the UEG and the UNSC. All smart A.I.s have been removed from the fleet. As far as I know, only Cortana and one that the Spartans had before they were betrayed are the only two Smart A.I. not under ONI control. Which brings me to my next question, where is Cortana? Make that two questions, how is she not Rampant?"

"Cortana is on the Pandora. Durring a series of events on the ship, her data crystal was shattered while in the ship's systems. The technology on the Pandora rid her or all traces of Rampancy, but at the cost of her never being able to leave the ship. During our initial foray into the ship, the situation called for her to... absorb... the main computer. She IS the main computer of the Pandora's Box."

"I see... Alright, moving on. When we scanned the Pandora and the fighter you arrived in, we got unfamiliar energy readings. Do you know anything about it?"

"Yes Sir, it is called Protoculture, and it fuels the Robotechnology found only aboard the Pandora."

"What is Robotechnology?"

"I'm not exactly sure about the technical jargon, but the core of Robotech is the ability to change. I mean that literally. Everything that uses Robotechnology is modular. My armor, the fighter, the Pandora itself. What you see is not what you get in the case of Robotech."

"Could you perhaps arrange a demonstration? I'm not doubting your word Son, I'm just having a hard time wrapping my my head around it."

"Your Ready Room doesn't have the room to show you my armor, and the Pandora still has to finish repairs. If you will allow Artemis to take off in the fighter, I'm sure you will get the jist of what I'm saying."

"Agreed, Captain Patterson to bridge."

"Bridge here Captain, go ahead." Tanaka Sulu answered.

"Mister Sulu, give Artemis and the fighter they came in clearance to take off and keep all sensors trained on it after it clears the hull and feed the visual to the ready room."

"Aye Sir. Sulu out."

"All you need to do now is inform Artemis."

"Actually Sir, Artemis never left. She was in my armor while we were talking. As soon as she heard you give clearance for her to take off, she went back to the fighter."

"I see. Well then, perhaps you would like to tell me what I'll be seeing?"

"Actually Sir, it will be more convincing if you have no foreknowledge. Besides, you'd never believe me."

"I see, well then, let's hope the young lady gives us quite a show."

"Sir, you have no idea."

********

Down in the hangar bay, Artemis was going through reintegration to resync with the Cyclone armor and the fighter so she could use it as a Spartan would and not rely on her direct electronic control. After the armor gives her the green light, she begins the start up sequence and preflight check.

"Starlit Control, this is Phoenix One, requesting permission to launch."

"Phoenix One, this is Starlit Control. You are cleared to launch on vector 214 mark 619."

"Roger that Starlit Control. Phoenix One over and out."

As Artemis brought up the engines, she prepped the afterburner.

"Phoenix One, launching."

As Artemis hits the afterburners, the fighter launches from the hangar bay like an arrow.

"Starlit Saffir, this is Phoenix One. Now preparing fighter demonstration."

"Roger that Phoenix One, you are cleared to... Phoenix One, we have multiple incoming objects, is this part of your demonstration?"

"Negative, this was going to be an aerial display. Phoenix One to Pandora's Box. Requesting permission to take off the training wheels."

"That's an affirmative Phoenix One, training wheels are off. Let's show them what we think of party crashers."

********

ONI Stealth Prowler Rampant Justice

Date: December 25, 2563

Time: 2330 hours

Location: 1km off Starlit Saffir's aft port.

"Missiles awaety Sir, repositioning for Second salvo. The unknown ship and the Starlit Saffir have not penetrated our cloak."

"Excellent Leonidas. Target the second salvo on the alien ship."

"Yes Sir, and the fighter?" The A.I. asked.

"Ignore it for now, a lone fighter is no threat. Just keep an eye out for infiltration. With Cortana, no system is safe."

"We will be in range of the Alien ship in three minutes."

"Acknowledged. If they catch onto us, take us to slipspace."

"Yes Sir. Firing second salvo in three... two.... one... Mark. Missiles away, repositioning for next salvo."

"Like shooting Grunts in a hallway."

"Yes Sir."

********

Artemis tried valiantly to shoot down the missiles before they reached the two ships, but the fighter could not be in two places at once.

"Pandora's Box, this is Phoenix One, F configuration is getting us nowhere. I'm going to get ahead of the pack and switch to B mode."

"Roger that Phoenix One, happy hunting. Pandora's Box to Starlit Saffir."

"Starlit Saffir here."

"Keep your sensors on Phoenix One, and record the whole battle, you'll want to study it in depth later."

"Uh... Roger that Pandora... are you sure Phoenix One can handle this on her own?"

"Oh believe me, this will be a walk in the park. You just watch Artemis, I'll find our unseen assailant."

"Roger that Pandora, setting sensors to scan and record."

********

It was a well known fact that unless a mission called for it, Spartans were not a patient group. So when the red alert sounded and the order to brace for missile bombardment, Captain Patterson expected Master Chief to leap into action. So imagine his disbelief when he got more comfortable in his chair and asked him to repeat his question.

"Ah... you dis hear the red alert, right? We are under attack."

"Yes Sir, but Artemis will handle it. She may not be human, but she is Spartan to the core."

"I see, I've been meaning to ask, who is Artemis's mother? She's been mentioned several times but I've never heard her name."

"With all due respect Sir, there are somethings you're better off not knowing just yet. Between our attacker and your orders from ONI, I don't trust you with that information. No offense Sir."

"None taken Spartan, and I understand your caution."

"With all due respect Captain, I don't believe you do. Artemis is very special, as is her mother. If ONI or the UNSC get a hold of either of them, I don't think I have to tell you what would happen to them."

"Mass experimentation, attempts to duplicate them, research for weapons application. You have a good point Chief, but it begs the question, I'd ONI or the UNSC can't have them, what will happen to them?"

"You forget the Spartans, Sir. We will protect them. ONI is trying to kill us, the UNSC is a paper tiger, and the UEG is dead and buried. Only the Spartans can keep them safe."

"That's why you're gathering the Spartans, to protect Artemis and her mother."

"That's part of it, but not all. Events are unfolding that will make the Covenant War look like a school picnic. "

Captain Patterson stood slack jawed for a moment before collapsing back into his chair and running his hand through his greying hair.

"Please tell me you're joking. We almost didn't survive the Covenant, and now you're telling me there is a more dangerous enemy out there? How are we going to survive?"

"Sir, again you forget the Spartans. Add to the mix the tech from that ship, and we have a better than fighting chance. Robotechnology will give us a means to take the fight to those who seek to destroy us."

"That may be, but for one ship to take on the kind of enemies you're talking about is akin to suicide. I cannot speak for all my crew, but the Starlit Saffir will join with the Pandora's Box."

A beeping on the com terminal interrupted any further conversation. Walking over to the console, James pushed a button to answer the com.

"Patterson here."

"Captain, please come to the bridge. You're going to want to see this."

As Mr. Sulu signed off, Captain Patterson looked over to the armoured Spartan with one eye raised.

"Artemis?"

John nods, letting a touch of smugness enter his voice.

"Artemis."

********

After Artemis had contacted Cortana aboard the Pandora to inform her that the fighter wasn't able to keep up with the mass amount of different targets, she reached up and pulled the leaver marked B and thought her fighter through it's transformation. The fighter seemed to seize up and collapse in on it's self for less than a minute before the fuselage sprouted two arms, legs and a head containing the cockpit. Once the mechamorphosis was completed, a fifty foot armored warrior stood with an auto cannon slung over it's shoulder, when observed closely it looked like the Spartan's old Mjolnir armor. In one smooth motion it it pulled the giant rifle from it's back and plunged into the swarm of missiles. Seemingly without aim, she darted about firing the rifle, hitting target after target. The battloid juked, deked and seemed to defy physics as the maneuvers became more and more complex as salvo after salvo were launched from their unseen assailant.

"Phoenix one to Pandora's Box, any luck playing tag with our shy friend?"

"Negative Phoenix One, and judging from the increased time between salvos, I'd say that they're running out of ordinance."

"They aren't the only ones Pandora, I have maybe one hundred rounds left."

"Roger that Phoenix, pick your shots and don't worry if a few get through to the Pandora, the AA cannons are armed and charged. Try to ease back to the Pandora, a fresh auto cannon will be waiting for pickup."

"Alright! Falling back now. Phoenix One to Starlit Saffir, things may be a bit bumpy for about fifteen seconds while I rearm. Keep a look out on those missiles, I doubt that things are going to be this easy."

"Roger that Phoenix One. I've got to admit, that was an impressive bit of flying. I've gotta ask, will you marry me?"

"Aww, thank you, but I doubt you could keep up with these moves."

"Those humans may not child, but try me on for size."

"Phoenix One, an enemy A.I. has breached our firewall. Purge all data and scramble ECM."

"Sorry Starlit Control, but that's not possible."

"Indeed youngling, this is a most intriguing find. I had expected to find a new Spartan or an Alien ally of theirs. Imagine my surprise when I find it's a new type of A.I. It certainly makes sense how you were able to destroy all the missiles with just a single fighter."

"Actually, I didn't use any of my capabilities, this fighter did it all."

"Ah yes, this is a most remarkable machine. I think I will procure it for my employers, they will love studying the pilot and machine."

"Pandora, I've lost control of the Battloid, any time would be nice."

"Roger that Phoenix One, and I must say that we make a good team. Attention unknown A.I. I have penetrated your ships cloak and have your ship in the cross-hairs of our main cannon. Release the fighter and I won't blow it out of the sky."

"Ah, Cortana, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. After Dr. Halsey created you... illegally I might add, I was created to be your counter. I know all about you, you are bluffing."

"Obviously you need to be scraped as a defective model, or else you would know that Spartan's don't bluff! Priming Hyper Particle Cannon."

********

ONI Stealth Prowler Rampant Justice  
Date: December 26, 2563  
Time: 001 Hours  
Location: Currently directly between Pandora's Box and Starlit Saffir

"Leonidas, massive energy buildup on the Alien ship."

"It's a bluff, we have precious cargo that they would never destroy, besides, to fire their cannon they would destroy the Starlit Saffir as well."

"And how do you know that?"

"Call it a gut feeling."

"Leonidas, you're an A.I. you don't get 'gut feelings'"

"Then call it a Calculated response. Either way, they won't fire on us."

"Actually, if I hadn't gotten here first, she would have."

Spinning around, both human and A.I. gaped at the armored bulk of the Master Chief. Aiming his rifle at the controls, he fires a controlled burst, disabling the ship and it's cloaking device.

"Blue Leader to Pandora Control, the songbird is back in it's cage." 'Great,' he thinks to himself. 'Now they have me doing it.'

"Roger that Blue Leader, Phoenix One is on it's way back to the Starlit Saffir. Captain Patterson is bringing a Pelican for extraction, he wants a word with whomever is in charge on that ship before they are brought aboard his ship." Cortana informed him.

"Roger that. Requesting an A.I. containment system as well."

"You managed to capture their A.I.? Keep it away from the Pandora for now. no telling what the Protoculture will do it's system's and we don't want another mishap, one that might get back to ONI."

"Acknowledged Pandora Control. They'll sit tight till the welcome wagon arrives."

******

UNSC Cruiser Starlit Saffir  
Date: December 26, 2563  
Time: 0930 hours  
Location: Forward barracks

As John stepped out of the shower, a rough soldiers towel around his neck, he sees he's not alone. Reclined on his berth was a striking female in a lab coat.

"Hello Master Chief, sorry to interrupt your down time, but it was the only time I knew you'd be out of your armor." She reaches into her lab coat and pulls out a small pistol.

"ONI sends its regards."

And pulls the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out, I just haven't felt very motivated lately. however with this chapter we are all caught up with the handwritten chapters so i am going to try and post a new chapter ever two weeks, more if I get the chapters done faster.


	8. Chapter 7: Cloak & Dagger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Halo, Robotech, or any of the fandom I kidnap characters from, only the OCs and the Story are mine.
> 
> Sorry about the long wait, my phone has a virus and I have no other web access, so it will be a while between postings as I try to find ways to get it set up. Still no one has tried to get the prize for the contest, so I am going to give it until St. Patricks Day to try before I just shut it down. I'm hoping that some one will try as it will make the writing more fun for me.

Even with his Spartan reflexes, John had no time to do anything but close his eyes. After a minute of no pain, he opened his eyes and looked at the woman, who wore a satisfied smile.

"Sorry Chief, needed to make sure there were no eyes on us." she motions to the ruined light panel. "ONI has bugged every berth in every ship in the fleet. There are also sleepers, like myself on every ship."

"Why are you telling me this? Why didn't you shoot when you had the chance?" John asked in confusion.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth? Hmm, I suppose not, being a Spartan and all. But I suppose you're right, you deserve an explanation. My older brother was on the first Halo ring with you. You brought him home. When you showed up here and all ONI personnel had been ordered to eliminate the Spartans, I just couldn't do it. So. I'm here to defect."

"And you couldn't find a better time to do this?" he says, motioning to his still nude form.

"Sorry Chief, just wanted to see if the rumors were true," she says with a raised eyebrow while looking the Spartan over with obvious interest. "Dr. Halsey did the galaxy a great disservice when she killed the Spartan's sex drive. But enough eye-candy, as a defector, I will be under your care. I'm sure your crew will need a medic familiar with Spartan physiology."

"Right now Miss...."

"It's Doctor, Doctor Danielle Whitefern."

"Right... Dr. Whitefern, I would not trust you on my ship to scrub the latrines. You admitted to being an ONI Spy, will never set foot on the Pandora if I could help it. However, Spartans have no medics, we cannot perform anything but basic field first-aid. You will remain on Captain Patterson's ship as you have. Any communications from ONI, and the speed in which you report them to the captain or myself will determine if you are worth the trouble of keeping you around, or alive. Once we get to Reach and gather the Spartans, you will be under constant Spartan observation until you are assigned an A.I."

"I understand Chief. I hope to one day earn your trust. To that end, there was another reason I came to you. ONI has intercepted your message. Your Spartan brethren are most likely walking into a trap."

John's blood runs cold as he hears the doctor's news. If the Spartans didn't get their Gungnir armor and Cyclones, ONI would massacre them. Spartans had the training and the will to succeed, but ONI wrote the book on dirty tricks.

"Thank you Dr. Whitefern, I will handle the situation."

The Doctor smiles and nods before turning to leave. when she reaches the door, John calls out to her.

"Oh, and Dr. Whitefern." she looks over her shoulder and pauses with her hand on the door pad. "You may have saved many Spartan lives today, thank you."

Smiling and inclining her head for a moment, she presses the door release, leaving his quarters.

"Cortana, I assume you heard everything?"

"Not everything John, but enough to think that the good Doctor is telling the truth, both about the attack, and thy she didn't she didn't shoot you."

"If you heard that, why didn't you warn me there was someone in my berth?"

"I didn't know anyone was, not until she fired the gun. I'm still getting used to these new emotions and the thought of you in the shower almost overheated my mainframe."

Laughing. he looks over his new armor, checking for flaws, wear, damage, or a million and one other things that my potentially get him killed.

"Cortana, I need you to request a meeting with Captain Patterson, we will be leaving this system as soon as possible and making for Reach. ONI is playing in our backyard."

"Roger that. Priming Spacefold System and activating Gungnir armors. The Cyclones will have to be fueled by hand, but once the Valkyrie is back in the hangar, it can be fueled automatically. Once you return to the Pandora, we should be ready to leave. Captain Patterson says he'll see you on the bridge."

"Copy that. Blue Leader to Artemis, come in."

"Roger Blue Leader, Artemis here."

"Artemis, prep the Veritech for launch, we're leaving here within the hour."

"Copy that, Phoenix One out.

Shaking his head, he has to smile at her call sign. After donning his armor, he heads to the Saffir's bridge, already taking stock of possible scenarios. Once on the bridge, he could see the Captain in a heated discussion with Cortana's holo-image.

"Cortana, I'm telling you that there is no way to get to reach in that amount of time, slipstream just isn't that fast."

John could see Cortana's eyebrow twitch as she tries to remain calm.

"I agree Captain, but we will not be using slipspace. The Pandora has a different FTL drive called a space fold system. The fold sphere extends around the Pandora so a few other ships can use the same jump as us."

John figured he should make his presence known before they both blow a fuse, one literally, one figuratively.

"With all due respect Captain, but I think that Cortana may be better informed about the Pandora's systems than anyone, save the original builder."

Captain Patterson looks over his shoulder at the approaching Spartan with a grunt.

"I understand that Chief, but the ability to fold space is not possible, it would cause the fabric of space time to collapse."

John made his Spartan 'smile' as he watched Cortana stamp her foot.

"Tell you what Captain, I'll make a bet with you*. If the Space fold system works like it Cortana says it will, you help me with a problem I'm having. if it doesn't, then the next Hardlight A.I. will belong to the Saffir, fair?"

(AN: I was listening to Charlie Daniels Devil went down to Georgia when I wrote that part.)

"Next Harlight A.I.? You mean there are more?"

John mentally kicked himself for the slip and stops in his tracks for half a heart beat before continuing on.

"No Sir, there are only two, but the Pandora has the secret of their creation."

"I see." Captain Patterson's dead pan tone spoke volumes. "Now, What can I do for you Chief? Cortana said you needed to see me."

John nods and shifts his armored bulk uncertainly. 

"SIr, Part of the reason I asked to see you has to deal with that problem I mentioned earlier. The second was to ask for a crew for the Pandora. Cortana can do a lot on her own, but even she can't do everything, basic maintenance, galley work, medical procedures, you see where I am going with this. Robotechnology can do wonders, but it can't even boil water unaided."

Taken by surprise, Captain James Patterson couldn't think of anything to say for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed.

"I think I can give you a decent skeleton crew of experienced sailors."

"Actually Sir, I want your greenest deckhands. Cortana is going to have to teach them what they need to know, and it will be easier if she doesn't have to unteach them first."

"Unteach, what do you mean?"

"Take your conversation just now with Cortana, the Pandora's Box has a system that no one in this galaxy has seen before and she needs to have people who won't... erm... argue... every time something new crops up, and with that ship, change is a part of life. Also, they would have to leave the UNSC and as Newer recruits, they don't have to worry as much about a commission. There is less to hold them to the UNSC."

"Why would they have to leave the UNSC? They would still be my crew until you caught up with the Spartans, wouldn't they?"

"No sir. Once they reached the Pandora, they would be under Mine and Cortana's command. The reason they would have to stay is that they would have a Hardlight A.I. partner assigned to them to assist with training and their duties. Once a Hardlight A.I. gets their assignment, they are bonded to their partner until they mature. On top of that, Spartans are front line fighters, not sailors. Save for small craft, we know next to nothing about running a ship of Pandora's size."

Captain Patterson stroked his chin for a few moments as he thought over what the Master Chief said. When he spoke again, it was tentative and thoughtful.

"I would not be able to order this. You would have to make due with a volunteer crew. You may very well get some experienced sailors as well as some swabbies."

"Swabbies Sir?" John asked curiously.

"Old navy term for new recruits. now, I will ask for fifty volunteers from bridge crew to engineers to cooks and armory officers. what I need to know is what we get in exchange."

"I'm not sure I understand Sir."

"It's like this Chief, for this to work, there will need to be an exchange and a treaty as I am treating the Hardlight A.I.'s as a new species you are acting as their intermediary. during such requests, something is offered for what is requested."

"I see. I think I have the perfect solution. For every human that joins the Pandora, a... AH! a Halian will join the Saffir and we will provide a blueprint for a Hardlight Generator."

James's eyebrow quirks as he listens.

"I assume that Halian is what you will be calling the new A.I.'s?

"Yes Sir, I just shortened Hardlight A.I. If they are being brought into a treaty, they need a name for their people, I had originally thought to call them Harlian, but feel free to offer your advice on it as well."

"Chief, for something so Important, shouldn't you ask them? Making a treaty is one thing, but naming their entire race is not something that you or I should do without their consent."

"Understood, however, the offer stands. You would have to select your Partners for them carefully for reasons I have already stated. Once you have chosen them, we would need a blood sample, not a large one, but enough to fill a small vial."

"I think we can manage that, anything else?"

"Yes Sir, as part of the exchange I want Dr. Whitefern. She is the only non negotiable crew member."

"Dr. Whitefern? May I ask why? She's only an intern medic."

"Exactly, She has nothing to unlearn. That, and she has made her specialty Spartan physiology, I dare say she knows more about the Spartans than anyone not on the original project. On top of that, I saved her brother on the original Halo array."

"I see, i will discuss it with her. What about Marines? Even Spartans need back up."

"No, not at this time, I want to get my Spartans together first. Once I have them together and kitted out, then we'll discuss ODST's."

"Very well, when do you need the crew? it will take a few hours to get the volunteers and a few more to get them transferred."

"That is too long, we are heading for Reach as soon as I get back too the Pandora and will be going to full battle stations."

"Battle stations? What aren't you telling me Chief? Reach isn't going anywhere. Why the rush?"

John was silent for a full minute before reaching up and unseals his helmet and removing it. With a sigh, and a quick run through of his short hair with his fingers.

"I discovered an ONI Spy on your ship. This Spy had standing orders to kill and and all Spartans that came on board. However, the spy defected instead of killing me. After the spy defected, i was told ONI was going to ambush the Spartans on Reach."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an update, I realized I wrote myself into a corner and I want to keep what I wrote so I'm trying to adjust the plot a bit to get it to work.


	9. Chapter Eight: Crucible

Spartan Hardlight Cruiser, Pandora's Box  
Date: December 26, 2563  
Time: 1230 hours  
Location: Bridge

Cortana used her internal sensors to watch as the new crew of the Pandora left the shuttles and got their duty assignments. One hundred and sixty sailors had volunteered and Cortana had to whittle it down to fifty, even for her processors it had taken almost an hour to reduce the number to fifty four souls. Of those fifty four, the Saffir's First Officer, Lucas Arch, and radar operator, Tanaka Sulu, had both requested to join the crew. While Cortana had at first refused Lucas, Captain Patterson insisted, as an envoy from the UNSC, an ambassador of sorts. Sighing, she ques up the coms, “Attention all hands, once you have received your duty assignments report to your stations. We will be initiating a spacefold maneuver in T-minus sixty minutes and counting, so stow your socks and grab your jocks. Once you have your bunk assignments, you will find a map in every locker. For those who still get lost, there are terminals in most corridors with direct lines to the bridge and to me. This will be a trial by fire for both crew and ship, for those who don't know, we will be going into combat with the UNSC immediately after our jump. While I hope it can be resolved peacefully, there is a real possibility that this will be a declaration of war on our parts. Those who have a problem with this, please, reboard the shuttles and return to the Saffir. No action will be taken against those who decide to leave on their own now.” 

Cortana waited for ten seconds to see if anyone moved back to the shuttles and smiled to herself. 

“Thank you all. One last thing, you probably notice the crew is on the light side, this is due to the fact that you each will be getting a partner to work with you at your stations, however, we simply do not have the time to wait for them to... arrive. We will be getting a few at a time over the course of a few weeks. On behalf of this ship and the Spartans, I would like to say thank you, and welcome aboard.”

Cortana put up the countdown on every terminal on the ship before the door to the bridge sent an alert saying that someone was trying to gain access to the bridge. Opening the door, Lucas, Sulu, and four others filed onto the bridge. With a pop, Cortana activated her Hardlight form and smiles as they all salute her.

“Lucas Arch, Tanaka Sulu, Darien Tyre, Susan Young, Mai Li, and Sihu Toski reporting for duty.” Lucas names each of the others as she snaps her own salute.

“We'll have more time later to get to know each other, just know this, as of this moment, none of you are a member of the UNSC anymore. As such, we haven't had time to set a structured military ranking at this time. Lucas Arch, you will be acting first officer, Tanaka Sulu, radar and coms are yours. Darien Tyre, Weapons control, Susan Young, navigation, Mai Li, engineering, and Sihu Toski, shields and ordinance.” as Cortana gave her orders, she motioned to each station. “You each have T-minus thirty minutes to acquaint yourselves with your terminals. Dismissed.”

They all went to their stations with military professionalism and spent the little time they had arranging their stations to their liking, they were so engrossed that they all jumped slightly when Cortana began the final countdown.

“All hands, brace for spacefold operation in 3.....2.....1.....Mark.”

Those who were near the viewing ports saw a shimmering, multi-hued, sphere envelop the Pandora's Box, and the Starlit Saffir, and then the stars became sort of... stretched out. There was an almost audible snap and a lurch forward as both ships were shot across the cosmos.

“Attention All Hands, this is Cortana, I just wanted to say well done for our first space fold jump. If my calculations are correct, we will be arriving at Reach in less than two hours, please take this time to review the routes to the escape pods, and the infirmary. All medical personnel, be prepared to handle wounded and casualties, both friendly and enemy alike, Security personnel, be prepared to repel boarders and keep prisoners in check. I know this is pushing your training to the limits, but have faith in this ship, she's old, but she has more tricks up her sleeve than a magician.”

With that she turns to her bridge crew, her blue lined code scrolling across her body rapidly as she looks them all dead in the eyes.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, what I am about to tell you does not leave the bridge, as it is THE most important secret on this tub.” for the next hour, Cortana tells the story of how this ship came under their control, the secret behind the Hardlight A.I.s creation, and went into brief detail about Protoculture and Robotech. “One final thing, the reason that there are no more crew members is that they have not been born yet. You heard that correctly, the partners you will all be getting will all be born from your own DNA and my programming code, you will be more than just partners, you will be mothers and fathers to them. You will teach them all you know. Eventually, when they have matured, they will take on their own ship and be able to, for lack of a better term, birth their own children. All of you will be getting your partners before the rest of the crew. However, Lucas, you will never be getting a partner. You are here as a UNSC Ambassador, as such, are not one of us. Besides, having a partner for the First Officer would be a little redundant.”

“I understand Ma'am, I was told to inform you that I would be reporting directly to Captain Patterson, so unless he tells me to report to someone other than him, you have no need to worry about any information coming from me.” Lucas snaps a smart salute, then returns to his terminal. Typing furiously for a moment he turns back to Cortana, alarm on his face. “Ma'am! Your calculations were off! We are entering the Reach system NOW!”

Cortana de-rezzes her body, returning to the main computer, after checking the chronometer, she realizes that they had only been in warp for less than forty-five minutes. Doing one last check, she begins priming the main cannon and ques up the PA system. “All hands report to battle stations, this is NOT a drill, repeat, this is not a drill. Prepare for modular conversion. Sierra-117 and Phoenix One report to the Spartan hangar, Chief, fuel up those Cyclones and give a charge to the Gungnir armors. Phoenix One, you have the Valkyrie Fighter, you're on defense, so keep those fighters off of us. Entering normal space in 3...2...1...Mark.”

The stars quickly went from streaks of light to pinpricks as the spacefold bubble collapsed around the two ships, their view screens filled with dozens of ships, destroyers, cruisers, frigates, one battleship and carrier respectively. Shangheili and Terran ships of the line and fighter craft buzzed around like a swarm of hornets. One of the destroyers, the Lancelot from the registration number on the hull, turned and started bearing down on the two ships.

“Sihu, raise the OmniDirectional barrier, Darien, give me a firing solution with the main cannon but do not fire until after the Lancelot. After returning fire, Mr. Sulu, open a channel to every ship out there. Once we begin talking, Mai, take us to Battle Mode and hold position. Do not fire on any of the ships, but swat the fighters like flies. Chief, once the ship goes to Battle Mode, you will have a window of three minutes to slip past their lines and get to Reach, good luck.”

Cortana fires her engines and starts pulling away and between the Saffir and the rest of the fleet. As the Lancelot bears down on the smaller ship, Cortana nervously hopes this works as two heavy MAC rounds slam into her shields, making them flare white hot, then cool.

“Damage report!” Lucas calls out.

“Shields down, oh my god, shields down only twenty percent from two heavy MAC rounds! If the Covenant had shields like these, we would have never beaten them!”

“Darien, let's show these fools what they're dealing with. Fire main cannon!”

“Aye, Sir! Firing Hyper Particle Cannon!”

Starbursts of light begin collecting in front of the ship in a glowing sphere, once the sphere covers the entire front of the ship, it collapses in on itself and a lance of pure energy streaks towards the UNSC ship, tearing through the shields like they weren't even there and coring the ship from stem to stern, then continues on past, taking out other ships that happen to be behind the now smoking wreck.

Total silence greets Cortana as she returns to her Hardlight form.

“Mr. Arch, status report.”

“Ma'am, I... I am at a loss, the power this ship holds, it's scary. Final tallies are coming in, but as of now, the main cannon took out six corvettes , two cruisers, one destroyer, and the Lancelot, they are now nothing more than hunks of molten slag. The carrier was heavily damaged and would have been destroyed, but the battleship pulled between us and them and is now floating dead in the water. The Carrier seems to making an outbound jump to slipspace. Ma'am, if I may ask, if this is the strength of the cannon not in Battle Mode, how much of the full power was that?”

Cortana hesitates for a nanosecond before sighing. “That was only fifty percent of it's true power. Honestly, I thought it would just be enough to disable the Lancelot.”

Six stunned faces look back at her before a beep on Tanaka Sulu's console brought them around.

“Communications established Captain, all remaining ships are listening.”

Cortana raises here eyebrow at being called Captain, but ignores it for now and turns to the view screen in front of her. “This is Cortana of the Spartan Hardlight Cruiser, Pandora's Box, to all remaining UNSC and Shangheili ships around Reach. You are all here by ordered to stand down and leave Reach. Those who refuse will be fired upon. In three days time, one corvette class ship will be allowed to return to discuss terms. Prowlers will be destroyed on sight, and yes, we can see them just fine. You have ten seconds to comply. End Transmission. Mai Li, take us to Battle Mode and charge main cannon. Bridge to Master Chief, your three minutes start now, get moving.”

* * * * * * *

Spartan Hardlight Cruiser, Pandora's Box  
Location: Forward Hangar

“Bridge to Master Chief, your three minutes start now, get moving.”

“Roger that, Sierra-117 launching.”

Pushing the throttle forward, he hits the afterburners on the modified Pelican Drop Ship and feels the gee forces slam him back into his seat.

“Sierra-117 to Pandora Control, launch successful, eta to planet fall, two minutes.”

“Roger that Sierra-117, give'em hell.”

* * * * * * * 

It was night down on the surface, or at least, it was supposed to be when a brilliant white light lit up the forest where Kelly, Spartan-087, was scouting. For more than a minute the light cast a sterile white glow over the entire area, then, like a lightning bolt, was gone and darkness took control once more. Deciding that this was noteworthy enough to report, she spun on her armored heel and raced back to Spartan HQ.

* * * * * * *

The two minute flight to the surface were both nerve wracking and boring, after his launch, John had expected heavy resistance. However, what he got was an armed withdrawal. While they weren't exactly running away with their tails between their legs, seeing one ship take two heavy MAC rounds and then destroy almost a dozen ships with a single salvo had been a blow to their morale. It wasn't until he entered the planet's atmosphere before they even noticed he was there. The response came from the drifting battleship, as three dozen HEV's or High altitude Entry Vehicles, were launched and followed him down.

Once the Pelican cooled enough for him to get a visual of the planet, he began to see vaguely familiar landmarks from before the planet was invaded, a charred forest here, a glassed mountain range there, even the remains of a dried up old lake. Memories of his early training came to the surface as he flew across the landscape, and he realized that this, burned and damaged though it was, is home.

“Sierra-117 to Pandora control, I have made it to the planet, beginning mission.”

“Roger that Sierra-117, happy hunting.”

Hunting would be right, while this might be his backyard, it was also the backyard of his prey. Also, while his new armor may be good, it would not be the first time that a superior opponent was taken down by the Spartans. Changing the coordinates on the Pelican, he angled towards the location of the ill fated Super MAC generators, perhaps he could hide the drop ship in the ruins. Finding a suitable spot, he lands amongst the other pelican wrecks, and, after one last check of his suit and Cyclone, drops to the ground. Scanning the area quickly, he turns back to the Pelican, and starts tossing dirt and debris all over the fuselage, trying to make it look like just another wreck. After several minutes, he looks it over with a critical eye and nods his satisfaction, before turning and running out of the compound. After several miles behind him, he scans the area once again and disengages the Cyclone, thinking it through it's mechamorphosis to it's cycle form and with a roar of the protoculture engine and a spray of dirt, he roars off towards the Playground, the titanium mine where the Spartan's trained after their augmentations. The Spartan's never called the old base where they were first trained the Playground, not since they couldn't train there after they had inadvertently killed some of their trainers, that was the School, where they had learned to be Spartans, the mines were where they had fun putting their training to the test. No one but another Spartan-II knew of the name change, as they never discussed it around any one else, not even another Spartan class, so if any of the Spartan-II's survived, they would hopefully give any pursuit the slip and be safe until he arrived.

* * * * * * * 

As John neared the mountain range with the titanium mine, he began to notice the signs of a high velocity crash. Twisted metal, carbon scoring, fresh turned earth, all these and more. Slowing the Cyclone to a halt, he switches the components to armor mode and shoulders his rifle. Feeling the hair stand up on the back of his neck, he carefully scanned the area, once more wishing he had Cortana with him. It was a minute sound that had tipped him off, just two rocks clicking together, but for a Spartan, it may as well have been a nuke. He spun, brought up his rifle, took aim, then.... hesitated. In front of him was a figure in snow white combat armor, it looked almost like the Mjolnir armor, but heavily modified. Uncertainty clouded his mind. Did the Spartans get a new upgrade while he was away? Was this a new classification of Spartan? He was so caught off guard that he didn't hear the three tell tale hums of a cycling Spartan Lasers until he was caught by all three beams slamming into each of his sides and back. With a resounding explosion, the area around the Master Chief became a blackened crater.

 

The Master Chief, Spartan-117, was gone.


	10. Chapter Nine: The Strongest Spear VS The Strongest Shield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, two chapters in one day, how about that! my posting schedule will be a little sporadic as I don't have internet and have to wait to get to a wifi hotzone
> 
> as before, I do not own Halo, Robotech, or any of the other Generes I rip off, but the story is all mine and the only payment I get is the kudos and comments you folks leave me, so make sure to pay your author

Planet Reach  
Date: December 26, 2563  
Time 1900 hours  
Location: Forward Spartan Outpost Omega

Spartan Jack Hunter was bored. After one of his altercations with the Spartan-II's, he was assigned to outpost Omega to cool his heels. While he may not have the physical augmentations of the II's, he at least had the option to volunteer for the position, which, in his mind made him and the other Spartan-IV's superior to the conscripted and experimental Spartan-II's. After getting up in Spartan-058's, or Linda's, face, he made his opinion known and dared her to prove him wrong. However, it was Fred, Spartan-104, who answered, with a piece of steel rebar upside the helmet. Once the bells quit ringing in his ears, he turned on the Spartan who sucker punched him, only to meet the barrel of his battle rifle in his face. 

“You should be thanking me, Linda was about to kill you. Pull something like that again, I'll let her.”

Without another word, he turned and walked into the tunnels, leaving a gaping Jack utterly speechless. When he talked to the other IV's, they said she had pulled her combat knife and was about to use it when Fred hit him with the rebar. Feeling foolish and angry at having been made a fool of, he stalked off. Fred caught up with him hours later to inform him of his assignment and to grab his gear, it was going to be an extended assignment.

That had been three days ago and the novelty at having an outpost under his care had worn off after the first day and a half of nothing happening. It was almost time to radio base with his hourly report, when an explosion shook the air, and sent him scrambling for his weapon.

“Playground this is Sierra-914, there has been an explosion less than one click from my position, repeat, there has been an explosion less than one click from outpost Omega, please advise.”

“Roger that Sierra-914. Sit tight, there are reinforcements inbound already. Under no circumstance are you to engage until they arrive, observe and report only.”

“Roger that Playground, Sierra-914 over and out.”

If there was reinforcements already en route, they must have been heading here before he radioed in. While he was glad to have the support, he wondered why they were coming out here, and he wondered if it had to do with that flash of light earlier. Grabbing his rifle and other gear, he triggered his active camouflage and disappeared into the brush like a ghost. Observe and report, well observing without being seen was his specialty, even before the Spartan upgrades, he had an uncanny ability for moving unseen and unheard, now, no one could do either unless he wanted them to.

It took less than four minutes to find them, four white clad Spartans of a type he had never seen before, three carrying Spartan lasers, the fourth carrying no visible weapons at all. The three armed were coming through a crater on the ground as if looking for something. After a moment, one of them turned to the unarmed Spartan and seemed to say something over a closed channel, because he nodded and turned and started moving off in a search grid. He had gone maybe three steps before a lance of light streaked out from the brush off to Jack's right, and caught the white clad Spartan in the chest, knocking him almost three meters from where he stood, and draining his shield completely. Two more shots and the other armed Spartan's were knocked down in the same manner. The unarmed Spartan pressed a button on his chest and four wing like arms extended from the back of it's armor. Nothing seemed to happen for several moments, then with a pop and a sizzle, Jack's active camouflage generator sputtered and died. Now Jack realized why the fourth Spartan had been unarmed, he was equipped with a portable EMP generator, none of the current UNSC weaponry would be able to withstand it unshielded. The assailant seemed to realize the same thing when another heavily modified Spartan, this one in the olive drab of the Spartan-II's, burst from the brush and rushed the white Spartan. With a resounding crash the two titan's began slugging it out with their bare hands. Never in all his days had Jack seen a more brutal fight, this was not just a beat down, both fighters were actively trying to kill each other. It took less than a minute before Jack knew that he could not take either of these gladiators in a one on one fight. The two fighters were so engrossed that neither one noticed the other three coming to their feet. Jack checked his shields and saw that they had only been knocked down to half and were slowly recycling to full charge. After a quick check, he saw that only his active camouflage generator and his battle rifle had been damaged, he seemed to be half in and half out of the edge of the EMP, so his Shield Generator had been spared because it was on his back, while his camouflage generator was toast because it was on his arm. He grabbed the four plasma grenades on his waist, primed all four, then threw them all at the other three white Spartans, three of them fusing to their armors, and a fourth landing in the center of the three. Before they went off, Jack was already moving to another location, maintaining the distance between him and the two fighting Spartans. Four gouts of plasma shook the area, and when the blue-white energy clears, he almost stumbles, all three were still still standing. Their armor was a little scorched where the grenades had fused to them, but otherwise had no damage. 

The whole area seemed to freeze after the grenades went off, even the two combatants seemed to stop mid swing. Everyone seemed to scan the area, trying to find the origin of the grenades. Jack knew he was in trouble, even if he survived this, he had been told to observe and report, and given explicit instructions NOT to engage. Before he could regain his balance, the four white Spartans crumpled to the ground. Jack only had time to wonder before the sound of four sniper rounds cracked the air. Only one Spartan could have made that shot, Linda, he's have to apologize when he returned to camp. The remaining Spartan looked around, trying to determine where the shots came from, then raised his hands in surrender. 

Linda, Fred, Naomi, and three Spartan-III's he didn't know, step out into view. All six Spartans kept their weapons trained on the other. After a moment, the other Spartan slowly lowered his hand to his face-plate and made a small gesture that Jack didn't quite see, but Fred, Naomi, and Linda stiffened, and lowered their weapons and snapped a salute. Figuring this would be as good a time as any, Jack steps into the clearing, startling everyone but the newcomer. Fred clapped the other Spartan on the shoulder, visibly staggering him.

“Stand down everyone, this is Spartan-117. Love the new armor Chief, got a spare set or three?”

“Sorry, this is my only one. However, I brought you your own. There's one for all the Spartan-II's. I didn't have time to have any others made for the III's and IV's, but once we dust off we'll get started.”

“Dust off? We're leaving Reach?”

“That's an affirmative. I'm here to collect all the remaining Spartans and take them to my ship.”

“You have a ship? How did that happen?”

“I'll brief you all later, but for now, all the Spartan-II's are to double time it to the Super MAC generators for refit and rearm, sorry Naomi, half of your new armor is being borrowed by a new friend, but it will be worth the wait.”

Naomi nods and leaves with the other two Spartan-II's and heads for the generators. After they leave, Master Chief turns to the Spartan-III's.

“You three double time it back to the Playground and inform them to grab their gear, it'll take a few days I'm sure, but we'll be leaving Reach for good as soon as everyone is off planet.” they nod and leave in the other direction. When he was done with them, he turns to Jack. “That was quick thinking with the grenades, next time however, try to aim for arm or leg joints, they aren't as armored.”

Jack salutes, “Thank you Sir! I'll try to remember that. Sir, I have to say that was the most brutal fighting I have ever seen, even fighting Covenant Brutes or Hunters got that intense.” 

John hesitated a moment before nodding. “I don't know if you could tell, but I was losing that fight. If you hadn't used those grenades, I would have lost, even without those other three joining in. Their defensive capabilities are way beyond anything I've seen.” 

Jack wasn't sure what to say to that so he kept quiet while the Master Chief gathered his thoughts.

“Come on, Fred and the others are going to need help getting the remaining armors back to base.”

Jack salutes, then starts to turn, but stops when he sees the Chief's armor falling apart, then rearranging into a motorcycle.

“Come on Spartan, I'll explain on the way. The others have a lead on us and carrying two I'll have to push the engines to catch up.”

After they had both mounted the bike and were on their way, he gave Jack a quick run down on the new armors.

 

* * * * * * * 

Planet Reach  
Date: December 28, 2563  
Time: 0600  
Location: Playground

The Spartan-II's had spent the rest of the day and all of the next getting used to the Gungnir armor and their Cyclone counterparts. While they were training, the remaining Spartans had been shuttling up to the Pandora, but with only one Pelican, it was taking time they didn't have. After John had gotten the armors from the Pelican, he went back to the clearing where they had fought the four white Spartans, only to find that they were gone, and seemingly on their own power. When he contacted Cortana, he told her of what he had seen and sent her a mission recording of the fight, along with Spartan-914's alternate view. Cortana had news of her own, once the other ships had cleared out, she had Artemis search the wreckage for survivors and found more of those white clad Spartans in cryostasis, she had almost brought them on board, but had received the tapes from John before that cold happen. One thing that puzzled Cortana, after the battle, the auto repair drones had launched and started scavenging the ships, and now the Pandora had more than tripled in size and the main computer had suggested a separation sequence, but she wanted the Spartans on board before trying it. In the meantime, the Pandora was gaining more mass.

“Blue Leader to Pandora Control, all Sierra designations are ship side save for the Sierra Two's. Sierra-010 will be on this Pelican, she's tired of waiting for her party favors.”

“Roger that Blue Leader, Sierra-010's party favor will be wrapped in a pretty bow, Phoenix One will be coming planet side on the return, get the old timers ready for their new friend.”

John cracked a smile under his helmet, but dared not laugh aloud, not while on mission, and not around his squad. While they were as close as a real family, he doubted that they would be able to handle their stoic leader laughing.

So, when Kelly suddenly appears over his shoulder and asks “so what's so funny?” he about jumps out of his skin.

“What do you mean?”

“Come off it John, we know you too well. You may have your helmet on, but everything about you changes with you moods, your posture, the tone and pitch of your voice.”

Worry spiked through him. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Only to those on Blue Squad, we've been together longest.”

John nods and makes a 'smile' across his visor.

“As for what was funny, Cortana called us the Old Timers. That, and we will be having a guest come down on the next drop-ship. I have to warn you, she can be.... a handful.”

Fred keyed his coms to add his two credits worth. “She huh, James always said that you'd be the first to find a girlfriend.

John couldn't ask for a better setup.

“Oh, she's not my girlfriend, she's my daughter.”

 

* * * * * * *

ONI Black-OPS Command  
Date: December 28, 2563  
Time: 1230  
Location: ONI Triumvirate Chamber

The three leaders of the new government watched it horrified awe as they viewed the data on the battle above Reach, the powerful main cannon, the transformation of the ship, the unbelievably strong shields. Not since the Unyielding Heirophant had anything been that powerful, and they doubted that they had seen it's true potential either. Even the state of the art Battleship, the Ikazuchi, was no match for their barrage. But for all that power, there had been no follow up attack, no missiles, no fighter craft save one that hung back at the ship, seemingly on defense. The Prowler Rampant Justice had failed to contact HQ after the Omega message was broadcast throughout the fleet stating that Spartan-117 was alive and well and had gone to check the origins of the transmission, they only reported in once, prior to going into Slipspace. Now, more than ever, the Spartans needed to be eradicated before they brought their empire down like a house of cards. On a positive note, field video of the battle between their four Neo-Spartans and the new Spartan that came from the ship, were more than satisfactory. The mind wiped super soldiers felt no pain, so when the other Spartan broke ribs or punctured lungs, they did not stop as their armor staunched bleeding, fixed the punctures, and set bones as they went. There was even a built in defibrillator to jump start their hearts should they fall. Only by severing the brain stem could they be killed one hundred percent for certain. If they could get their Neo-Spartans on board that ship, they could hijack it and bring it back to the Terran empire, they would be unstoppable. Before they are sent in, they would need someone on the inside, some one who had just as much to lose as they did if they didn't get that ship. Someone already in the area, Dr Danielle Whitefern.

* * * * * * *

Planet Reach  
Date: December 28, 2563  
Time: 1300  
Location: Playground

The Chief's fellow Spartan's reacted just the way he had hoped at hearing he had a daughter, but after that one remark, he refused to say anything, just got busy running the Spartans through their paces so they knew their new armor almost as well as they did their old. While he watched with pride, he had to admit that Cortana was right, Robotechnology had forged the Spartans into something new, something that he hoped that they would be able to fight the unknown force Cortana mentioned.

“Alright Spartans listen up, all the drilling in the world won't teach us the limits of our armor, so, once Artemis arrives, we are going hunting. Those white armored knockoffs are Spartan hunters. From what I could tell from my encounter with them, they travel in groups of four, three heavily armed attackers, one unarmed with an EMP generator. Spartan-914 noticed that the EMP was locally used only, meaning that the range was limited, approximately fifty yards in all directions. I can tell you from experience that while the EMP will knock out the new battle rifles, your shields will only need to recharge. Active camouflage is useless within that area as well, even under shields. Their armor is incredibly tough, four plasma grenades in close proximity barely scuffed the paint, on top of that, either the sniper shots to the face-plate didn't penetrate the visor, or head shots can't kill them. So until we find out what DOES kill them, we will be using disabling shots, knees, elbows, under arm. These are the least armored places in any armor, use them. Keep your mission recorders on so we can review any data collected. Any questions?”

John waited for a slow five count then nodded.

“Very well. Just a few final points, the Pelican will be lifting off again after Artemis arrives, we can't risk it being destroyed or captured, I want each of you to send up a blood sample when it dusts off. Finally, I saw three dozen HEV's fall to the surface which means we have thirty six hostiles to capture or kill. There are only the four of us to take them out, we will be receiving no backup or assistance of any kind for at least forty-eight hours while Naomi trains with her suit and it's component. After this mission, each of you will become squad leaders you will each train the other Spartans under your command the best you can. Kelly, you will be training scouts and recon specialists, Linda, sharpshooters, Fred, heavy infantry. Naomi will be training what we Spartans have never had before, air support, we will have next gen fighter craft and drop ships. But it will take time to fabricate them, we have hundreds of Spartans to outfit with new armor and weapons, not to mention the training they will need to be proficient with them. The Spartans are changing, let's make sure we are around to see what they change into.”

The others are silent as they absorb his words and stow their gear, making sure everything is mission ready. John knew his squad better than he knew himself, they were ready for almost anything, the Gungnir armor was worlds above the Mjolnir, and they had defeated the Covenant and the Flood with them. The Master Chief thought back to the Halo rings, weapon installations designed to wipe out any and all sentient life, and what was coming was more dangerous. If the Spartans couldn't take out these Spartan hunters, this mission would be over before it could even begin. He had fought and lost the last round, but now he had Blue Squad and Artemis with him, those white armored knock offs wouldn't know what hit them.

“Pack it in Blue Squad, let's go hunting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, yeah, computer viruses are a thing that suck, I just lost my entire rough draft of my story, I had almost 16 chapters. so please bear with me as I try to get back on my feet. also, if anyone of my fans know how I can post pictures from my hard drive to here (not the one with the virus, I promise) so I can show what I have in mind for what the new Gungnir and Veritech systems are that would be amazing. thank you all so much for all of your patience, I will try to have a new chapter in a week or two at the most.
> 
> Sincerely, 
> 
> Hardlight_Artemis


	11. Chapter 10: Wolves and Lions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, it's been forever, all I can say it's not entirely my fault. just have to state again that I do not own Halo or Robotech, or any other Genres I rip off in the telling of my tales. 
> 
> anyways, I'm sorry if the last half of this chapter seems rushed, I found an old back up copy of my story that had up til then saved before the virus wiped it all out, so I had to try and go by memory. anyways, I hope you all enjoy

Chapter Ten: Wolves and Lions

Spartan Hardlight Cruiser: Pandora's Box  
Date: December 28, 2563  
Time: 1600  
Location: Forward Hardlight Matrix

Cortana looked around the room at the four medical beds with awe and reverence. The blood samples that Blue Team sent up from the planet had been utilized immediately and before her was the results, four new Hardlight A.I.'s were laying on the beds, newly born, but fully formed and would be ready to be bonded to their respective partners when their programming were complete. The differences between them were as startling as they were beautiful, three males, and one female, each a different color and configuration. The lone female was lithe but buxom, her features a mix of feline and human, with cat ears, tail and rear back legs. Her pulsing code flowed across her body in shades of bronze and gold. 

The males, while obviously male, that was where the similarities ended. The first on her right was human, strong and muscled like a body builder, his coloring was a mix of crimson and gray. The second male, was tall and lean, no excess muscle to impede range of movement, his coloring was a dark mocha and tan. The last was a bit of a mystery, Cortana could tell he was male, but other than being short of stature, couldn't tell much about him, his entire body was clad in black. A nagging thought tugged on Cortana's memory, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen the getup that the young A.I. was wearing. The monitors next to each of the tables started to go off, alerting her to the four beginning to awaken and driving all thought of the unusual clothing from her mind.

All parents make mistakes.

* * * * * * * 

Deep space: unexplored region

The firing of the Pandora's main cannon had caused waves of energy to expand throughout the system, then the galaxy. On one war torn planet, the energy interacted with the upper atmosphere in a dazzling aurora that could be seen day or night. In one of the many ruined military bases, a light on a certain panel lit up, which in turn caused the atmospheric siphons to engage and begin absorbing the energy as it came in contact with the planet. In moments the wave passed the planet and the Aurora faded to nothing. Eventually the light on the console dimmed as the atmospheric siphons disengaged and the planet once again became a ghost town.

Or at least on the surface, deep below the ground, the collected energy passed along energy conduits deep to the planets core to a machine that fed on the energy and began to slowly revive itself. As the energy was absorbed and the station fell silent once again, one last sound could be heard.

A single, massive heartbeat.

* * * * * * * 

Planet Reach  
Date: December 28, 2563  
Time: 1600  
Location: Three clicks north of Spartan Outpost Omega

John chaffed under the slow pace that they were forced to go, these white Spartans were anything but fools, random mines, dead falls, and other traps kept them at a snail's pace. After the first lotus mine almost took out the entire team, John had split them into four different positions, Kelly was ranging ahead as scout, making use of her speed and smaller profile to keep her safe. With Kelly scouting their front, that left their rear to defend, which John had placed Fred to act as sweeper, trailing behind the rest of the group by ten minutes to catch anyone who was following the main group. Knowing that both the front and rear of the team covered, John had Linda activate her Active Camouflage and be a roving sentry, never staying in one place for more than a minute, going ahead of the team, or falling behind, or ranging out on the flanks, anything that she thought that would be advantageous to flush out surprises before they became 'snags'. On more than one occasion she had spotted problems and had dealt with them before the rest of the team had even known they were there.

Around midnight that first night, John had started to see a pattern, they had run into the same traps in the same order on more than one occasion. Lotus mines, then a dead fall or pit trap, then an ambush, then the order started over again, even if there were slight variations, the pattern was there. Unfortunately, it also meant that the original four SPARTAN hunters were meeting up with their comrades, and now were leading them into a trap.

Calling Blue Team to a halt, John gathered them together. “Alright, this is getting us nowhere. They obviously know we are coming, so we will wait here for our last member to arrive. Linda, find us a spot to set up camp, Fred, scout the area and clear a Landing Zone for the pelican. Once Naomi gets her party favor, she'll train hard until she works out the kinks...” Before the Chief could finish his briefing, Cortana cut in on the team channel.

 

“Chief, we've got a problem. The A.I.'s made from Blue Team just high jacked the Pelican and are heading down to the surface. Luckily, Phoenix One is with them. However, whatever they are up to, they downloaded the schematics of every UNSC heavy weapon. In other words, they are coming to you and they are coming loaded for bear. I don't know what is going to happen once they come down, but please, try not to hurt them. They don't know what they're doing.”

The Chief groaned, this could not have happened at a worse time. None of them could afford for the new A.I.'s to go rogue, it would ruin any and all chance to introduce them as a new, sentient species.

“Alright, you heard the lady. We have unknowns inbound on the pelican and one friendly. She may or may not be a hostage. However, none of these people are to be underestimated. As for the rest, if needed, two in the chest will stop them temporarily. I can't really say anymore, you'll have to see for yourself.” The Chief's motion sensor marked the approach of the Pelican as it landed, the Spartans were tense and had their weapons primed and ready as the hatch lowered and the five glowing A.I.'s stepped out of the craft and went immediately to their respective partners.

The golden feline shaped female went immediately to Kelly rubbed her head against her helmet. “I am Zephyr, I am your daughter.”

Meanwhile the others also began to introduce themselves to their parent/partner, the red and gray male went to Fred and after a moment to look over the other man, stuck out his hand, and when Fred took it, began to squeeze, instigating a contest of strength, nothing seemed to happen for a moment until the A.I.'s hand suddenly derezzed in a flash of light. Nodding, with a smile he reforms his hand and extends it once again and shakes hands propperly.

“I am Atlas, I am your son.”

Artemis and the sandy colored male approached John.

Chief, this is Naomi's partner, Sinbad, he will be with us until Naomi completes her training with the Valkyrie.”

The final A.I. made his way over to Linda, who almost had to strain her eyes to even see him, his dark coloration seeming to absorb the meager light of the camp. He came up to her and bowed, not saying a word, or making a gesture. After several minutes went by, Artemis came over to them with a sigh. 

“I don't know much about this guy, all I was able to get out of him was his name, Shinobi. He can talk, he just chooses not to, although I think he will once the two of you are alone. For now, just acknowledge him and inform him what to do.”

Nodding, Linda placed her hand on his shoulder and turn to walk out into the darkness, Shinobi following her like a ghost.

* * * * * * * 

Location: Unknown  
Date: Unknown  
Time: Unknown

Eye like sensors come to life as energy flows through conduits unused for eons like blood through enormous veins. Pulse after pulse brings more sensors online and the ground shuddered and began to crumble. From the rubble of a mountain range, a titanic eye opened as it awoke from it's slumber.

It was waking up, and it was HUNGRY!

* * * * * * *

Planet Reach  
Date: December 29, 2563  
Time: 0430  
Location: Spartan-II camp

The attack came hard and fast, Spartan laser fire and EMP waves engulfed the campsite from all sides as the white clad Spartans sprung their trap. Or, so they thought. Four resounding bangs shatter the almost silent attack as one of the 'wings' on four of the EMP Spartans explodes into fragments, knocking out their generators. In one swift move four of the nine enemy Spartans who could harm the Hardlight A.I.s were out of commission.

As if it was the clarion call, Spartans under the Master Chief's command assault the enemy from behind. Again four shots ring out, but the Neo-Spartans tighten their ranks and only two of the four shots find their mark, dropping the total operational EMP Spartans to three. By this time, Blue Squad was going toe to toe with the heavy gunners, Spartan lasers and hardlight rounds flashing through the night like the Titans of old warring with the god Zeus on Olympus. While everyone was blinded by the flashes of light, no one payed any mind to the jet black form that moved from shadow to shadow as it stealthily made it's way towards one of the disabled EMP equipped spartan, and once he placed his hand on the white helmet, he vanished in a pop of static. As the firefight continued for several minutes more, forcing Blue Team to withdraw to a more defensive position, the black form once again took shape.

“Shinobi to all Blue Team A.I. the enemy with the EMP generators are vulnerable to Hardlight A.I. Transmitting info. Blue Team, once the A.I. interact with their suits, it acts like a hard restart on their brain, causing them to short out. Unknown if fatal. Shinobi out.”

In the space of three heartbeats the battle had turned around, five separate colored figures, ranging from pitch black to forest green made short work of any and all disabled enemy combatants. With the risk of the EMP generators nullified, Blue team went on the offensive, using their greater mobility to compensate for their lack of brute strength. 

The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon when a very familiar voice came over Blue Team's Tac-Net, “Blue lead, this is Seraphim, the battlefield has been declared hot, repeat, the battlefield has been declared hot, T minus sixty to roll out the carpet.”

John immediately recalled the rest of blue team and their companions. “You heard the lady, this place is going to get messy, double time it back to outpost Omega and prepare for exfil. I will remain here to see the fireworks. Hopefully the Valkyrie will be able to damage these bastards, if not, some one needs to make the report.” With a salute, they mounted their cyclones and in a shower of dirt, they double timed it back to the outpost.

Once the last of his squad had left the area, John turns his own cyclone back TOWARDS the battlefield and guns the engine, there was one last thing he needed, one of the disabled EMP Spartans. If he could figure out their tech, or even interrogate the Spartan, it would save countless lives.

 

Besides, it was an older brother's duty to scold their younger siblings if mommy and daddy weren't teaching them properly.


End file.
